Best Summer Ever
by melicitysmoak
Summary: Billionaire playboy Oliver Queen is serving a six-month probation with community service in an orphanage for boys after being arrested on a DUI charge. That summer he chaperons ten boys to summer camp where he meets Felicity Smoak, who doesn't seem to be as interested in him as he is in her. This is an Olicity AU fanfiction that does not involve Oliver being the Arrow.
1. Chapter 1: First Impressions

**Chapter 1: First Impressions**

Robert Queen, President and CEO of Queen Consolidated, a Fortune 500 company based in Starling City, had decided that he has had enough of his son Oliver's childish, irresponsible, and delinquent behavior. After his son's arrest and arraignment for over-speeding and "driving under the influence," he had given his son an ultimatum: Shape up, or ship out! The Queen patriarch was not going to pay for another semester of college education until his son shows him that he is serious about finishing an honest-to-goodness bachelor's degree in business. It's been seven long years spent either shifting from one degree program to another or being kicked out from one Ivy League school to another. And it wasn't because he didn't have the intellectual capacity to pass his courses. Robert Queen believed that although his son was not a genius, he was not intellectually deprived. He had high hopes for his only son and eldest child, but all he had been getting since the boy hit puberty was one disappointment after another. How could his son show change for the better? He had absolutely no idea. He didn't know what to do anymore, except be firm. Tough love. He was sure that was what his son needed. He'd rather let him suffer now and learn his lesson than waste his life and end up rotting in prison or cutting his life short because of his vices and dangerous, foolish choices.

Not willing that her "beautiful boy" spend even another night in jail, Moira Queen had bargained with her husband to get their lawyer to post bail and to negotiate with the district attorney and the judge that their son's sentence be reduced to probation and community service, since this was the first time he was actually arrested for DUI (although this wasn't the first time he had done it). The judge had agreed to six months probation and community service in an orphanage for boys in the Glades – one of several institutions for indigents that regularly received generous charitable donations from his parents' company – under the supervision of a court-assigned legal counselor who would submit an evaluation of his performance and progress to the judge at the end of the six-month probationary period. As recommended by the Queen family through their lawyer, that supervising legal counselor turned out to be none other than Laurel Lance.

Laurel _was_ Oliver's girlfriend for a number of years since high school. She had given up trying to reform him, and had moved on with her life and finished college and law school before he could figure out what he wanted in life. She had an ambition, a goal in life, and she wasn't going to wait around in the sidelines for him to wake up from a self-induced sleep. When the Queen couple and their lawyer came to her asking for her help, Laurel agreed to do it as a favor because, after all the heartaches he had put her through during their troublesome past, she was still his friend, and she really wanted to see him become a better person.

His arrest was the last straw, and Oliver Queen knew it. He knew he had only one sane choice to make, and it was certainly better than jail time that his father was already willing to allow out of sheer frustration and anger at his foolishness and stupidity, which had lasted far too long. His father had told him, "This is the deal, son, and my decision is final. You either take it or leave it!" He had taken it.

The first month in the orphanage for boys involved kitchen duty – helping the cook prepare the meals of the children, dish-washing, cleaning up - and other stuff that Oliver wasn't used to, like cleaning the bathrooms, vacuum-cleaning the carpeted floors, helping the kids make their beds and do the laundry, and taking out the trash. That was also a period of adjustment, when he vacillated between complaining and whining about all the dirty work he had to put up with for six months, and feeling guilty and ashamed of himself for murmuring about his miseries when the boys around him had no families of their own to speak of and none of the luxuries he had grown up enjoying. Oliver Queen had realized that he had been taking a lot of things for granted. He realized that he had been throwing away opportunities that have been served him on silver platters, opportunities that those orphans would gladly grab without second thoughts if given the same chance. Each night as he headed back to the Queen mansion in his Ducati motorcycle, one thought kept his mind occupied as the rushing wind beat upon his helmet and the loud humming of the bike's engine drowned out all other sounds in his ears. Oliver had recognized that he had not really been offered a deal; he had been given a second chance. And he better not blow it.

On his second month of probation and community service, Oliver was told that every summer a local church in downtown Starling sponsors the tweeners in the orphanage to summer camp just outside of Coast City as their outreach program. The problem was that the church's social worker, who has been sent as the boys' chaperon for the last three years had gotten sick with chicken pox and was not expected to recover in time for the trip to the camp. Oliver had been the second choice. At first, he hesitated. No, he protested. In fact, the idea seemed both repulsive and ridiculous to him. But when his sister Thea had teased him about how running away from responsibility had always been his thing, and how it would take more than community service to change the way he is, Oliver had immediately spoken to Laurel over the phone. He decided he was willing to take on the challenge that could maybe, just maybe, become the turning point he needed in his life. Oliver Queen was going back to summer camp.

So there he was, stepping out of the bus followed by ten male tweeners with raging hormones. Their noisy, rowdy five-hour trip had reminded him of the naughtiness that characterized his own passage into adolescence more than ten years ago. He stood at the door of the bus, making sure they got off safely and helping them with their bags. He looked at the 11, 12, and 13-year-old boys from multicultural backgrounds and felt mixed emotions. He couldn't deny that he was actually starting to care about those boys, but the fact that he alone was responsible for their safety and welfare for the next four weeks scared him half to death.

Oliver led the young ones to the welcome center of the camp site, which had a breath-taking view of the beach front. The reception area had a covered walkway that led to a lovely board walk and a small docking bay for canoes, paddle boats, and jet skis. The other campers and adult chaperons, which had arrived earlier than them, were already sight-seeing at the board walk and enjoying welcome drinks at the kiosk that served free refreshments. Oliver put down his own bags and sighed. "Well, this isn't so bad after all," he said to himself. He looked behind him at the motley crew that he had agreed to babysit, and he saw excitement in their usually lonely, bored, and restless faces. He smiled. "I think we're gonna have some real fun here," he said to the boys. He was going to make sure of it.

Thirty minutes later, the staff of Adventure Camp rounded up all the kids and adult chaperons and led everyone into the main session hall for an orientation to the month-long camp program. Oliver survived his first challenge of having to get his ten tweeners to take their seats – and to stay in them – while enduring an extended recitation of camp rules and guidelines, the camp pledge, and the cabin assignments. He also managed to get them all settled in their cabin, which was quite a trek from the main hall. Oliver had to carry the brown-haired boy Tim piggyback style. Tim was the smallest boy in the group who couldn't handle strenuous activities because of his asthma. The boy started wheezing just fifty meters uphill and needed a puff from his nasal spray.

There was a minor setback, however, when the very talkative and hyperactive half-American, half-Asian Sammy tripped on the topmost step that led up to their cabin. The boy lost his balance, and his huge backpack rolled off his back onto the other boys behind him, who went down like bowling pins, landing on the sandy soil below. That was why the first sight-seeing that Oliver did with four of his boys (who had minor abrasions and bruises) was at the camp clinic. He comforted himself with wishful thinking, because he certainly didn't want to regret his decision. "I hope things don't get any worse than this," he said to himself.

And things didn't. In fact, things were only starting to get better.

Oliver sat in the waiting room of the clinic with three of his boys, waiting for the last one to get patched up. Just as Sammy emerged from behind the curtains with the camp nurse who had tended to their minor injuries, a petite young woman with blonde hair tied up in a ponytail walked into the room. She had an arm around the shoulders of a dark-skinned teenage girl who looked like she was burning up with a fever. The girls approached the cramped triage area of the clinic, expecting to get some assistance, but the nurse was grumpy and nasty.

Oliver and the boys were about to leave the clinic when he heard the nurse muttering. "Camp hasn't even officially started yet, and I have kids walking in one after the other already!" the grouchy-looking, heavy-set nurse hissed. He decided it wouldn't hurt to help out a little with the use of his charm. He told the boys to sit down and be quiet, which, surprisingly, they were able to do – because really, they were more interested in what their official "big brother" intended to do.

Oliver smoothed his V-necked cotton shirt as he walked to the triage area and cleared his throat to speak. He appreciated the lady for what she'd done for his boys earlier and told her that they're already feeling much better, thanks to her. And then he said, "I'm sure this sweet young lady would start feeling better if you could give her a few minutes of your time." He didn't have to say much. His handsome face and the gorgeous smile, which he routinely flashed at women whenever he wanted something from them, did the trick. The nurse blushed and giggled. She leaned over, slapped his arm, and said, "I guess you're right." The nurse stood up and brought the girl inside the examining room.

"I guess I should thank you," the blonde woman said to him. "You… certainly know how to charm your way to a woman's heart." Oliver thought she had the most endearing smile. It wasn't just how the corners of her pretty pink lips turned up and how her cute pair of eyebrows lifted. It was her bright, beautiful, blue eyes that held his gaze. And for a moment, he couldn't speak. He just… looked at her. He wondered what those eyes looked like without the glasses. Sure, the glasses made her look adorably smart, but he still wondered.

Somehow, words finally found their way out of his mouth. "Hi! I'm Oliver Queen. It's a pleasure to meet you." He extended his right hand, hoping she would take it. But as soon as he spoke his last name, the winsome smile on the woman's face began to fade.

"Oh, I know who you are. You're somewhat… famous," the blonde responded. There was a slight change in the tone of her voice. Seconds ago, he could sense warmth and welcome. This time she sounded guarded, and she began to avoid eye contact.

It didn't take long for Oliver to get what she meant by her response. His name. It rang a bell. Normally, girls swooned at the mention of his name. Women readily took his hand even before he offered a handshake. But this woman was unlike most women. For some reason, the mention of his name was an alarm, a warning signal for her to stay away.

"Well, thanks again, and have a nice day," she said, looking at him for just a second, and then turning away to take an empty seat at the far end of the waiting room.

Oliver Queen was not used to being… well… snubbed. Especially not by a beautiful girl. A beautiful girl that he was interested in. As he and the boys walked back to their cabin, he was still processing his first experience at rejection. He felt terrible. It wasn't just because his sincere attempt at making an acquaintance was spurned. It was also because it began to dawn on him how messed up he truly was. He had single-handedly created for himself the image of a self-absorbed, spoiled billionaire-playboy who couldn't be trusted and had absolutely no sense of values or a sense of purpose in life.

"How did I get to be this way?" he wondered, disgusted at himself. He kicked pebbles as he trod the path back to their cabin.

He also could not stop thinking about the blonde. Oliver thought she looked very pretty in her white and yellow sun dress, which complemented her very attractive, slender frame. The sunflower prints on her dress matched her amiable and pleasing personality (before she decided to just be politely civil with him). But it wasn't just the dress, her personality, and her physical appearance. There was something very different about this girl, and Oliver felt drawn to get to know her more. He wasn't going to give up too easily. He was determined to win her over. Hopefully.

* * *

It was the second summer Felicity Smoak volunteered to chaperon ten tweeners from the Starling City Home for Girls. When she had learned two years ago that the company where she worked had set up a charitable foundation that supported such an institution, she straightaway spoke with the head of HRD to be enlisted among the employee volunteers for community outreach. It wasn't just because volunteering entitled her to a month-long leave with pay. It was her way of giving back. She was grateful for being raised by wonderful foster parents after her biological parents had abandoned her in the city park when she was five. She was blessed, beyond measure, and she had a lot to be thankful for. She was among the few kids in the system that made it good in life. She made it through public school until twelve grade and graduated with flying colors, not only because she was inherently gifted with brilliant brains, but also because of the loving support of her foster mom and dad, who had raised her with values and morals and had taught her that a good education, hard work, and faith in God were her most precious treasures. With the help of her principal and teachers, she had been granted a scholarship in MIT, from which she graduated at the top of her class. Her parents drove cross-country to be present in her graduation, which by far, has been the most unforgettable experience in her life.

Well… the most unforgettable _positive_ experience, that is. The other most unforgettable experience, so far, was not a very pleasant one.

There was a time during her four years in college that Felicity had struggled with her studies because she was distracted. In her junior year, she fell head-over-heels in-love with a senior who was both a frat boy and the basketball team captain of MIT. He was a rich guy, having come from a high society family in Boston. She started going out with him on dates for a couple of months or so – something that she had successfully kept from her unsuspecting foster parents until now. Felicity was crazy about this guy. She'd cut classes just to spend time _with_ him, and also _for_ him, because he often made her do his schoolwork for him. She knew she was in trouble when her grades began to drop by mid-semester. She knew she was in bigger trouble when he had become unsatisfied with just holding hands and she had given in to making out with him in her room every time her roommate was out late.

One night during a victory party hosted by the fraternity for her boyfriend's basketball team, he had convinced her to follow him to his room upstairs in the frat house while the rest partied wildly downstairs. Within minutes, his hands were all over her. Felicity sensed that he wanted something more than the usual kissing and touching, and though she was a little drunk, she still had enough sense in her to tell him to stop. He didn't. He proceeded to unbutton her blouse and she repeatedly said "No" and "Stop." He wouldn't. At that moment, Felicity knew it was the end of their relationship because she wasn't willing for him to have all of her. Not this way. "Stop it!" she yelled as she lifted her knee hard and fast against his groin. He slapped her hard on the face. He cursed and called her ugly names, and then he left her crying in that room. Alone. She wasn't surprised at all that he didn't want anything to do with her after that. That was perfectly fine. Because she really wanted him to stay away from her, too.

That didn't mean it didn't hurt. Because it hurt her like hell. She thought he sincerely loved her. She thought she loved him. "That wasn't love," she had concluded. Felicity Smoak had, indeed, learned that there was a difference between love and lust. She learned that lust is an insatiable monster, and that although giving in to it does bring pleasure, it's that kind of pleasure that is temporary and fleeting, empty and treacherous, leaving its victims with shattered hearts and broken dreams. And love? She still had a lot to learn about love. She knew what it was, in theory, because she was intelligent, but her only experience connected to what love truly means was being raised by her foster parents.

Felicity did learn from that major milestone in her life, but she got wounded in the process. She wanted to go home to Starling City and drop out of school. She was too depressed to stay in MIT and see him for another semester. But when her roommate had talked some sense into her and forced her to see the guidance counselor, she listened. She stayed on and recovered from a major heartbreak, making a dramatic academic comeback by the end of the semester.

But the harrowing experience had changed something in her. Yes, she became all the wiser, but she also became more afraid, less able to trust people, especially the wealthy, good-looking, and smooth-talking types. She had sworn she would never fall in love with such again.

"Too bad... that guy sure seemed nice," Felicity thought to herself as she sat in the clinic, waiting for Gracey's fever to go down. Oliver had already left the clinic, but she was still thinking about him, and she thought he was very handsome. Her ex-boyfriend at MIT didn't even come close. This was the first time she'd met Oliver Queen in person even if she'd seen him several times on TV and on print media. She didn't recognize him at first, because he used to be clean-shaven and had longer sandy-blonde hair. He was sporting a different look now – shorter hair and a stubble that were definitely making him look more gorgeous than ever. But she recognized his blue eyes, the pair of azure spheres she'd once stared at when she chanced upon a family portrait in the CEO's office one time she was asked to deliver a file there. Felicity also thought that he was a certified hunk, and a really attractive one at that. His cotton shirt clung to his torso as if it were intentionally tempting her to trace his perfectly chiseled upper body. Just thinking about how he looked and how he looked at her made her heart flutter, and she was suddenly aware that she just might to develop a crush on him.

But he was Oliver Queen. Everything she knew about him from the magazines and the tabloids and from office gossip told her that he was bad news. "There's absolutely no way you're falling for the top boss's son, Felicity Megan Smoak!" she scolded herself. She knew she couldn't possibly avoid him in camp for four weeks, so she decided she was going to be the courteous, educated person she was raised to be, but that was it. Oliver Queen was going to be a mere casual acquaintance and nothing more. She could do that. She was good at compartmentalizing things not just in her brain, but also in her heart. She had trained her heart to avoid getting hurt. Not again.

* * *

The first three days at camp were problem-free. Oliver and Felicity had somehow managed to stay clear of each other's personal space. Neither had let himself or herself come within ten feet of each other. Felicity was intentionally avoiding any encounter with him. Oliver, on the other hand, was not really avoiding her; he was still figuring out how to get through to her.

He observed her from afar when she wasn't looking, mentally taking down notes about this special girl that had caught his fancy. If Thea were there to observe him, she'd tease him endlessly for stalking her. He noticed she didn't like pickles in her burgers and she removed nuts in her desserts. He noticed she preferred wearing dresses during the day even for outdoor activities and changing to colorful shirts and denim jeans for the afternoon and evening activities. He noticed that it was easy to make her laugh; she'd laugh at the corniest jokes her girls could crack, and each time she did, her cheeks would turn all rosy red. Oliver found that so pleasantly amusing. He also noticed that she wasn't really the sporty, outdoor type of girl; in fact, if he was totally honest, he'd say she's somewhat clumsy, in a cute kind of way. She didn't skip any of the physical activities her girls participated in. She watched and cheered in her quirky sort of way, which Oliver found charming. She didn't join the games where camp counselors were encouraged to join, but she volunteered to keep scores or serve as assistant game official. He noticed she was very intelligent, as she easily caught on to the rules of the games she wasn't familiar with, and as for the ones she was familiar with, she could virtually replace the game officials. He also noticed that she tended to babble when she's excited or nervous or upset, and her ramblings were usually matched by hand gestures, which appeared so aggressively intimidating to whoever she was talking to; ironically, as an observer, Oliver found this totally adorable.

Like when she confronted the official after he made what she thought was a bad call during the table tennis mixed doubles game where one of her girls got paired up with one of his boys in the afternoon of day four. That was just the opportunity that Oliver had been waiting for to make his move. He had let her air her grievance quite eloquently at the referee for a good minute or two, short of screaming angrily at the poor guy, and then he stood up and attempted to intervene. And intervene he did.

"Thanks again," Felicity said to Oliver, as they walked away from the referee, who had decided to count the aced shot that he had previously declared as a service error.

"You're welcome. It was nothing," Oliver replied.

"Oh, it was something! That guy didn't know the first thing about table tennis!" she retorted angrily. And then she bit her lip in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm angry with him, not you. Not that I like you. I mean, I don't have to like you just because I'm not angry with you. Not that you're that difficult to like, because you are kind of easy to like, considering how good-looking you are and how kind you've been to me… and… Oh! I'm doing it again. I'm gonna have to stop talking now before I embarrass myself any further, in three-two-one."

Oliver wanted to laugh out loud, but he basically held it together and just chuckled. "Oh, that's nice to know… that you're not angry with me, I mean," he said, this time holding her gaze for as long as he can. "I somehow get the feeling that you've been avoiding me these past few days since we met at the clinic. I don't even know your name."

"It's Felicity. Felicity Smoak." This time, she was the one who reached out for a handshake, which he readily took.

"Well, Felicity Smoak, once again it's a pleasure to meet you," he said with a grin. "I believe you already know my name."

"Oh, yes," she replied. "And that's actually why our first encounter resulted in me somehow avoiding you all this time," she admitted shyly.

"Oh? And why is that?" he wondered, but was still smiling at her.

"It's not every day you meet your boss's son in summer camp. I work at your father's company. In the IT department."

"Is that so bad?"

"Well, that depends. Are you sure paparazzi didn't follow you here? I wouldn't want to find a picture of us in the lifestyle section of the morning paper with the caption 'Oliver Queen fraternizing with a female QC employee in summer camp at Coast City.' You know what I mean?"

It took Oliver a few seconds before he could think of an answer. Her verbal language didn't quite match with her nonverbal cues. Somehow he perceived that she was just joking, either that or she was offering an alibi to cover up for some other reason. He set that thought aside and thought about how he was going to answer her. He knew that whatever he would say next could make or break his chances of becoming friends with Felicity Smoak.

"I'm pretty sure the press doesn't know I'm here. So, there's really nothing to worry about," Oliver answered. "I guess that means you can stop avoiding me now?"

"Okay, sure," Felicity replied, "as soon as you let go of my hand." She smiled at him, ever so sweetly, that it nearly unlocked his knees and sent him crashing down to the floor.

"I think this is going to be the best summer ever," Oliver thought as he slowly released his grip on Felicity's hand.

* * *

 **A/N: This is just a short piece I wrote after coming home from camp. I was sitting on a tree house watching the young ones struggle through the obstacle course when this idea popped up in my brain. It's something that could have happened before the Gambit sank or anything island-related ever happened. So, of course, it's an alternate universe type of story. I hope you like it, and tell me if it's worth continuing. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2: Musings and Vanilla Ice Cream

**A/N: So, for those who liked, followed, and reviewed this story and said that it's worth following through, here is the next chapter. This chapter and the ones that will follow won't be as long as the first one, which was originally meant to be a one-shot.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow or its characters, but I'm such a big fan of Olicity.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Musings and Vanilla Ice Cream**

Oliver did let go of her hand that afternoon, albeit hesitantly, because that handshake was not just any ordinary handshake to him. It was a hard-earned prize for exercising patience and restraint. He had waited. He planned for the perfect encounter carefully. He studied her and sought her out with a kind of self-control that he never thought he had, and it surprised him to discover that he had it in him to delay gratification out of respect for another human being, who, in this particular case, was an extraordinary female. To Oliver, Felicity was different. Unlike every other woman in his life who either ran after him recklessly or was a willing victim of his selfish whims and fantasies, she made him want to be a real man, a better man, and he determined not to do anything to ruin every possible moment he could seize just to get to know her more. The Oliver Queen of the past would have been hitting on this beautiful blonde on day one, and every day since, and he would have tried effortlessly and subtly, if necessary, to convince her to make out with him… or worse. Tried? Yes. Succeeded? Not a chance.

Because Felicity Smoak may be blonde, but she is _not that blonde._ Ever since her first and only major heartbreak, she had resolved that she would never again be someone else's fling, nor would she allow herself to be toyed with. She does want to be in a relationship, to love and be loved – she was sure of that – but not at the expense of her morals and her dignity. If she would be in a relationship, she would be in it for the long haul, and she avoided anyone and anything that would jeopardize her dreams of settling down with the right kind of man with whom she could start the right kind of family, one in which God-given children are cherished as blessings and not abandoned without so much as an explanation like she had been. She's been longing for… waiting for… praying for someone special to be her friend, and then her lover, and then her partner. For life. She believes in happily-ever-after, but she's afraid it may never come because she thinks that decent, well-meaning men must have gotten extinct in the last century, or at least have been enlisted among the endangered species on this self-destructing planet that has been making her feel lonelier by the day.

It didn't take a genius – although she was positively representative of one, based on her IQ test scores – to figure out that Oliver Queen was interested in her. Very interested in her. She knew it from day one, and it frightened her. She knew better than to drop her guard just because a gorgeously handsome guy from a wealthy, influential family is palpably attracted to her. Because she was a woman of her word, she had stopped avoiding him as soon as he broke the handshake. Three days since, each time she caught him stealing glances at her, she'd feel her heart flutter. The same heart skipped a beat whenever she'd see him smile, not necessarily at her every time. It soared up to cloud nine each time he'd offer to do something nice or thoughtful, even if it was for someone else. Like when he yielded a seat at lunch time the other day to Caitlyn, the female chaperon of the girls from Central City. Or yesterday, when he volunteered to stay behind and clean up the mess made by a boy who had an upset stomach and puked his entire breakfast in front of the buffet table, so that the boy and his group could make it to their soccer game in time and not lose by default.

These, and a few other incidents of chivalry courtesy of her gallant admirer in the past week at camp, had Felicity confused and baffled. Try as she might, she couldn't reconcile the Oliver Queen she had read and heard about with the kind, considerate, and well-mannered gentleman she's had the pleasure of meeting and observing in the last few days. If she were really honest with herself, she'd have to say that this particular Oliver Queen – although too good to be true – is really not that difficult to like.

"I don't understand," she had been musing one night. "I'm usually a very good judge of character, but this guy is starting to make me doubt my intuitive ability." To Felicity Smoak, Oliver Queen has become a puzzle for her to solve, an encryption for her to crack, a firewall to hack into and demolish. She's decided that she would not let down her defenses until she's sure that he's for real. After all, it's highly likely that he's just being pretentious to get her to like him. "Am I being suspicious or judgmental?" she had asked herself. A question to which she had answered after some thought, "Nope." She was convinced that cautious, discerning, and wise are better words. She'd much rather be extra careful now than sorry and pathetic later if he ends up breaking her heart and making her cry. She remembered what her foster mom had taught her before she left for MIT – a piece of sound advice that she consciously ignored when she dated that jerk (whose name she wouldn't even bother to mention if anyone asks about her love life). This time around, she would heed it.

"Felicity," her foster mom explained, "our actions are based on choices, that are often dictated by our emotions and deepest longings, which are _always_ determined by the way we think and by what we believe to be true. If, for example you believe that your life is only worth something if you are wanted, you'll do anything… anything to please that person who matters most to you… even if it's wrong. Wrong thoughts lead to wrong feelings, that lead to wrong choices, that make you do wrong things. That's why your head is on top of our heart, Felicity. Use it! And then your heart will be grateful that you did." Felicity had learned from firsthand experience how true those words are. She had understood how fragile the heart is. So, before she invests genuine emotions on a guy she thinks she could like and have a relationship with, she better be sure he's the right kind of guy.

And that's what had been bothering Oliver Queen for an entire week. It bothered him that no matter what he tried or did, Felicity simply responded with a polite but sweet "thanks" or a guarded, but nonetheless, winsome smile. Nothing more. He'd push doors open for her in the session hall or in the mess hall, offered her and her girls help in several different ways, and even hinted a couple of times that he wanted to buy her a drink in between camp events. He'd been doing everything a decent guy could do to show her that he liked her, but she was showing nothing concrete that would tell him whether or not she liked him back. They had multiple opportunities for small talk and other conversations about camp stuff or about some of their kids. He had certainly learned a lot about her, but he was clueless about what he wanted to discover most – and that was if she was willing to give him a chance.

"She's a tough nut to crack," he thought whilst shaking his head. On the evening of the seventh day at camp, he lay down in his bunk bed, which was nearest the largest window of their cabin. He stared at the moonlight wondering. "Tomorrow would be the first day of week two. I need some sort of sign if I should keep going for it. Or do I?"

Oliver closed his eyes and instantly, his mind was captivated by one incredible image of Felicity after another. That morning, she had worn a powder blue summer dress with white polka dots, and she let her magnificent golden mane down instead of her usual ponytail. When she entered the mess hall for breakfast with her girls, he almost dropped the glass of milk he was holding. He stared at her with deep admiration – and with his mouth gaping – until she passed right in front of him and greeted him with a cheerful smile, "Good morning, Oliver!" And all he could say was, "Hi."

It seemed like that shock hadn't been enough because in the afternoon, when she and her girls arrived in the swimming pool area for the swim competitions and water games, she had looked absolutely stunning. She had flawless, porcelain skin, and, although her emerald green one-piece Speedo swimwear kept her cleavage modestly hidden, it hugged her shapely torso in all the right places. What shocked him even more was when she dove into the water as the anchor of her team in the relay race and finished first, their team clocking in ten seconds earlier than the second best team. Her girls and everyone watching the race cheered as she swam with the speed and grace of a dolphin. At that moment, Oliver changed his mind about her not being athletic. Sure, she sucked at ball games and every other sport that had been invented on land, but put her in the water and she's unbeatable! When he came up to her with a towel and yanked her up from the pool, he congratulated her. That was when he learned that she had been the captain of the women's swim team at MIT. That was also when he decided that there was more to Felicity Smoak than meets the eye.

It had been a long day, and everyone was eager to finish their meals and hit the sack. Oliver's boys and Felicity's girls had taken a long table and enjoyed dinner together, cracking jokes, celebrating victories in the games and sports events of the day, and carrying on lively conversations about the day's fun-filled activities. Oliver sat right across Felicity, who was nearly falling asleep while the others were finishing up with dessert. Her head was titled sideways, resting on the palm of her right hand, and her right elbow was planted on the table… but not firmly enough to keep her head from falling into the vanilla sundae right in front of her. The coldness woke her up from her shallow slumber, and as her eyes flicked open, she saw Oliver smirking. Chuckling.

"Vanilla ice cream looks good on you," he teased.

The boys and girls laughed at this, and she wouldn't have it. In a swift, well-coordinated attack, she took a teaspoon, scooped some ice cream, and sent it flying across the table onto his face. "It sure looks better on you!" she teased back.

"Hey!" Oliver yelled. And before she could scoop another teaspoonful of ice cream to aim at him, he leaned over and grabbed her hand. That first physical contact lasted for only a couple of seconds, maybe three, or four. But to him, it sure felt like time had stood still. A spark was ignited in his soul, instantaneously sending thunderbolts from his hand to the rest of his body.

Felicity pulled her hand back and lowered her gaze, trying to hide the blush that was coloring her cheeks crimson. When she looked up again, she bit her lip and avoided eye contact. "I guess we better get going before I really fall asleep on this spot," she said nervously, standing to give her girls the cue that they should be heading back to their cabin. The girls left the table, and as the young ones walked out of the mess hall one by one, Oliver watched them go. He watched _her_ go. She was the last person in the group to exit through the door, and just before she stepped out, she turned her head one last time. She looked back at him, and with a smile in her eyes, mouthed a soundless "Good night!"

That moment happened in slow motion from Oliver's point of view. He read every consonant and every vowel that came out of her luscious pink lips as she greeted him with two short words. He saw her blink once to punctuate the greeting, and he thought that those bright eyes framed by fluttering lashes were like transparent glass windows into her delicate, innocent soul. The bouncing ponytail was the last thing he caught sight of as she disappeared into the night.

Oliver opened his eyes once more and looked out the window at the moon. He held on to that last image of Felicity for as long as he could, and it was then that he decided he'd be crazy to wait for a sign. _She_ was the sign. There was no choice to make other than to woo this wonderful woman who has won his heart.

To him, Felicity was remarkable. And this time, Oliver was amazed that he'd been attracted to a woman for reasons beyond her physical attributes. He found her personality adorable, yes, but he admired her character more. He observed how she selflessly took care of the girls entrusted to her, putting their needs ahead of her own. She looked out for them, defending them from isolated incidents of unfair treatment, or keeping them away from harm or danger. He grinned each time she had her hands on her hips, reprimanding one or some of them for their mischief and occasional outbursts of stubbornness. She undoubtedly knew when to be in command of things, and when to just step back and let the girls have a really good time. She cared. Sincerely. And the girls loved her for it. _He_ felt drawn to her because of it.

Oliver smiled as he closed his eyes to retire for the night. His last thought before he fell asleep was this: that there wasn't a single girl in his life yet that had made him want to even consider the possibility of settling down in the near future, that is, until Felicity Smoak came along.


	3. Chapter 3: Playing Games (Part 1)

**A/N: I thought I could fit into one chapter everything I had planned on writing to develop the story, but it turned out I was wrong. So I had to split "Playing Games" into two parts. Enjoy this first one, and I hope you'll stick around for part two.**

 **Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Arrow or its characters.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Playing Games (Part 1)**

After breakfast, camp staff gathered all campers and counselors together in the main session hall for a special announcement. The camp director congratulated all the winners in the sports and athletics events in the past week and informed everyone that the agenda for week two were the survivor challenges that Adventure Camp is known for throughout the west coast. The tweeners got so excited when they learned that there would be different kinds of races, an obstacle course, a treasure hunt, contests in rowing, wrestling, and archery, and the highlight of the week-long challenge – a mini triathlon.

Oliver got all keyed up and energized, too. If there was one thing he excelled in since high school – not counting the vices and the womanizing he had "double-majored in" during his overextended stay in college (the thought of which now made him cringe) – it was in outdoor physical activities. He was especially skilled in archery, having taken lessons with an expert archer every summer at the Queen estate from middle school until he left for his freshman year in business school. He also looked forward to the triathlon (because he loved the thrill of riding any kind of bike high speed) and the wrestling matches, because even if he didn't really wrestle, he has always been a big fan of the WWF.

To say that Oliver Queen was excited is an understatement. Make no mistake about it. And it wasn't just because he was a bodily-kinesthetic and outdoor type of guy that thrived in extreme physical challenges. It was more because of a special arrangement that worked in his favor. After the director announced that each group of ten boys would be merged with a corresponding group of ten girls to form five larger teams for the survivor challenges that week – counselors included – the bulletin board revealed that his group had been merged with Felicity's group. That alone made him feel like he had won the state lottery.

As soon as he read their names on the board, he couldn't help but punch the air with both his fists in triumph while sounding out an eager yet muffled "Yes!" When he turned around to leave, Felicity was standing right there, just a few feet away. She had a look of amusement on her face. She had watched him from afar when he was checking out the list of teams, and she laughed mildly when she saw him punch the air and huff out that affirmative interjection. She thought it was boyish… but cute. It made her mood lighter than it was a moment ago, when she was all wound-up and worried for her girls and herself because she feared that her clumsiness and lack of proficiency in physical challenges might cause their ultimate disgrace. With Oliver Queen in her team, she thought they just might have a chance to win. And maybe, just maybe… she might even consider giving him a chance to win her heart.

"You like that, don't you," Felicity remarked, as she closed the distance between them, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Of course!" Oliver answered enthusiastically. "With the Little Mermaid on my team, the triathlon is a done deal." He winked as he, too, took a couple of steps closer to her.

" _Your_ team?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, challenging his apparent claim to leadership.

Oliver was taken aback by that. He replied while scratching the back of his head, "Well, uhm… It's your team, too. I mean… my team's as good as your team and… well… I wasn't trying to impose… I… I'm just saying…" He rolled his eyes in embarrassment, realizing that he was the one rambling this time.

She laughed.

He melted.

That was the first time she really laughed at something he'd said or done, and he thought that nothing on earth could be more adorable and delightful than that.

As soon as she stopped laughing, she said, "Ours. It's _our_ team. Okay? But I have no problems with you leading. You know, I'm very well aware that I have zero points in the physical prowess category. But if you think you'll need some help with strategic and tactical planning, then I'm your girl." She raised her eyebrows twice.

Felicity spoke so confidently. She was so sure of herself that she practically missed the implications of the last part of her statement. Oliver grinned, stepped slowly into her personal space, looked down at her, and said, " _My_ girl… I'd like that." It was only then that she realized what she'd just said. She gasped and shut her eyes tight, wishing that the ground she was standing on would somehow gobble her up and save her from that mortifying situation. Her smile quickly disappeared and her face flushed a scarlet hue. After swallowing the imaginary lump in her throat, she opened her eyes and attempted a fail-safe.

"By _your girl_ I didn't actually mean _your_ girl, as in _your_ girl. You know what I mean?" she reasoned, stumbling over her words, but she was just too nervous she couldn't keep herself from babbling. "Not that I haven't thought about how being _your girl_ would be like. I'm sure there are dozens of girls just waiting to be tagged as Oliver Queen's girl. I mean, I'm not even close to being like those dozens of girls who dream about being _your girl_ … What am I saying?! I'm sorry! I'm just gonna shut up right now in 3-2-1. Ugh!"

Oliver reached out and squeezed her arm tenderly. "Felicity, you're nothing like those girls," he said sincerely, gazing into her crystal blue eyes. "And you don't have to apologize. I understood what you meant. I'm sure your knack for strategic and tactical planning will be _our_ team's best asset."

"Thank you," she said with widened eyes.

Oliver and Felicity walked out of the session hall brainstorming about how they could bring their boys and girls all the way to the top, earning this year's Adventure Camp Survivor Challenge trophy.

Day One had been easy. Oliver's boys and Felicity's girls were a tough bunch to beat. They discovered that Sammy could run as fast as he could talk (even on sandy surface); his and Oliver's contributions resulted in their team bagging first place in the sprints and the running relays that were held at the beach. They had also won the wheelbarrow race and the sack race, but they only placed second in the obstacle course in the afternoon.

Felicity had to sit that one out because of an injured ankle. She had accidentally sprained her ankle when she crossed the finish line for the win and tumbled down to the ground. In an extra-large potato sack. Underneath Oliver's very robust, muscular, warm body.

It had been, as the game master called it, a modified sack race. All teams would begin with eight selected players inside an over-sized potato sack. They had to hop in a synchronized manner from the starting line to another line marked about twenty feet away, and then let one team player out. Then they had to hop together, back to the starting line and let another team player out. They had to repeat the process until the last two players cross the finish line. Felicity had suggested that she and Oliver be the last two players since, as adults, they could jump farther together and cover more distance if ever they needed to catch up with whichever team was leading. Oliver thought it was a good idea and agreed, without an ulterior motive of ending up alone in a sack with _his girl_.

Everything had been going well. When the last kid in their team got out of their sack, Oliver and Felicity hopped back to the finish line as if their lives depended on it. Neither had to count in order to keep their jumping synchronized. The two of them shared perfect rhythm. Felicity was a bit anxious that she might do something inept and mess things up, but she kept eyes on the finish line and watched her partner with her peripheral vision, taking his lead for every jump. "Come on, Felicity, we can do this!" he cheered her on.

The pair was going for the win, but they didn't notice a nasty twig on the ground. On their last and largest hop across the finish line, Felicity's foot landed on the twig and… Crack! The twig snapped. This was immediately followed by a loud thud. Felicity had lost her balance and crashed to the ground, twisting the sack around, which in turn, pulled Oliver down with her. On top of her, specifically.

She was down on her back, and it took her a couple of seconds to realize what had just happened. When she opened her eyes, Oliver's face was merely inches away, and his mesmerizing gaze captured her senses. She could _hear_ his breathing. She could _feel_ his heartbeat against her chest. She could _smell_ the scent of his cologne, and she didn't mind at all that it was mixed with the aroma of sweat. She could _see_ the warmth in his piercing blue eyes, and when she looked down to avoid his stare, she didn't realize she had focused on his lips. For a split-second, she wondered what those lips must _taste_ like, and then she got a grip on herself and shook the thought away.

"Are you okay?" Oliver asked her, breaking the silence as he rolled over to her side.

"I… I think so," Felicity answered softly. "Nothing seems to be broken, but I feel like a brick wall has just toppled over and buried me underneath it. Not that you're anything like a brick wall. Coz you're not. Made of bricks, I mean. But your body sure feels like it, with all your muscles and everything. I wonder what your mother fed you growing up! And… I'm doing it again, aren't I? Oh… I'm so sorry."

Oliver chuckled and said, "It's okay. I'm just glad you're fine. Here, let me help you." He stood and offered to pull her up with his hand.

"Ow!" Felicity yelped. She had tried to get up and stand, but fell back down to the ground when she felt an excruciating, burning feeling in her left ankle.

Oliver knelt down beside her to inspect the foot and ankle she was complaining about. "It's just a sprain. But it's a pretty bad one. It might bruise and swell a little bit. We have to get you an ice pack," he explained. Before she could even say that she can walk, or protest what she perceived he was about to do, Oliver had scooped her up in his strong arms and carried her all the way to the camp clinic.

Felicity could feel intense throbbing as he held her close to his chest. But she wasn't sure if the throbbing was coming from her sprained ankle or her heart. He had one arm under her knees, supporting her legs, and his other arm supported her back. At first she really felt awkward, but not awkward enough to squirm out of his arms because that would be way too embarrassing. But when he looked down at her and gently said, "Relax, we're almost there," she did just that. Her arms that were hanging loose a moment ago, afraid to hold on to him, suddenly found their way around his neck. She took a deep breath, rested her head between his neck and shoulder, and then peacefully closed her eyes to savor the moment.

Oliver looked at the beautiful creature cradled in his arms. He took a deep breath and smiled. He had never been so thankful to God for a twig.

* * *

Team Olicity. Yes, that's what the boys and girls had decided to call themselves. They had started teasing Oliver and Felicity after their adult chaperons-slash-camp-counselors came back from the clinic and joined them for lunch the day before. When Oliver had seen how Felicity blushed at their teasing and did not object or disapprove, he got an inkling that _he and she_ might not be "unthinkable" to her after all.

The team had thought that Day Two of the Survivor Challenge wasn't going to be as easy for their team as it was in Day One. With Felicity injured, she couldn't be of much help with the physical aspects of the day-long Treasure Hunt. The kids felt disappointed when she expressed over dinner that she was thinking of passing the Treasure Hunt, too, just like she had sat out the obstacle course that afternoon. Oliver, for one, knew that the blonde genius would be their best asset to finding the hidden treasure before the other teams in the competition do, so he insisted that she reconsider.

"The situation just calls for a little more creativity and flexibility," he had reasoned. He remembered seeing a bicycle with a side car parked at the back door of the mess hall's kitchen. When he suggested that they use that for Felicity to ride in and join the hunt, the boys and girls approved of his brilliant idea. He spoke with the game organizers about it after breakfast the next day, and this special concession was readily granted because they didn't think that it went against the mechanics or rules of the hunt. And when they conferred with the leaders of the other teams, no one contested the idea, so needless to say, Team Olicity was given the green light. Oliver returned to the team as a bearer of good news, a bike with a side car in tow.

Felicity was enjoying the morning breeze on the boardwalk overlooking the beach front, leaning against the railing on her elbows. She loved how the wind blew her wavy blonde tresses across her face. (After breakfast he had carried her there, laid her on a wooden bench, and told her to wait for him while he spoke with the game organizers. She thought that he had been too sure of himself and his plan, but she didn't fight him over it because he seemed eager to make his plan work.) The sound of the wind buzzing in her ears muffled the approaching footsteps and wheels. Oliver didn't want to startle her from whatever it was she seemed to be ruminating on, so he called out to her from several feet away. When she turned around and saw him coming towards her, pulling the small three-wheeled vehicle by his side, she bit her lips and smiled, shaking her head from side to side. She knew his charm would work, but still, she couldn't explain why she was nonetheless pleasantly surprised that he had accomplished his mission. She let out a short laugh as she kept her hair from covering her face.

"Looks like you got what you wanted," she said to him with a smile as he came to a stop near where she stood, leaning slightly backwards against the railing of the boardwalk. _She_ was referring to the mode of transportation that he had planned to put her in for the day. _He_ saw this as an opportunity to drop a hint and let her know that he wanted to be more than friends.

"Not yet," he said. He released his grip on the bike and put both hands in his pockets, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, hesitant to continue. But continue he did. Bravely and intentionally. He closed the distance between them and said earnestly, "But I'm doing everything I possibly can to make sure that I do, and… I hope I'm making progress."

Oliver gazed at her, smiling affectionately with his eyes, which almost made Felicity's heart stop. Instantly she knew he wasn't talking about the bike or the hunt, and she understood that his statement was really more of a question. A question that was intently begging for an answer.

Her brain swiftly went to work, scanning her cerebral files for an honest yet appropriate answer to that question. She knew that time was of the essence, or she… _they_ could lose that moment. Yet she wasn't ready to give away too much at this point. Not yet. Not the fact that, beyond the physical attraction she had initially felt for him, she was beginning to admire him for the gentleman that he has somehow transformed into, nor the fact that she has also begun to admire the sincerity and tenacity he's been showing to win her over. So, Felicity settles for a simple but just-as-sincere response, just enough to let him know that she was now willing to give him a chance.

"You are," she replied with a slight yet sweet smile. This time, she didn't look down or look away. Her gaze locked onto his, and she lost herself in that moment. She felt an indescribable warmth grip her heart and envelope her inner being. Her longing to be loved and to belong to someone had begun to be filled, like a dry and parched wilderness welcomes the first showers of fall after a long, scorching summer. Two small words opened up her heart to receive all the love he was willing to give. And he felt it. He saw it in her gleaming eyes. Hope had awakened inside his soul.

As if by instinct, Oliver held out his hand, and she took it. It was only when their fingers intertwined that they broke away from the gaze. "Come on, let's go get the kids. We have a treasure to hunt," he said. He helped her hobble a few steps and assisted her in getting on the side car.

That morning, two of the bigger boys in their team took turns driving the bike with Felicity comfortably seated in the side car while the rest of the team members were on foot. In the afternoon, it was Oliver's turn to do "pedaling duty." Without having to expend a lot of physical energy, Felicity was able to think better. She figured out the riddles and the clues for finding the treasure with the help of Gracey, the smartest girl in the group who had a knack for solving puzzles and mysteries. And although she and Oliver had different perspectives on how to use a map for orienteering and treasure hunting, and more than thrice bantered and argued vehemently about this, the team did find the treasure… eight minutes _after_ Barry Allen and Caitlyn Snow's combined team from Central City did. Second place was not too bad. They still got points, and they did have a lot of fun working together.

Day Three had been a respite - declared as a rest day for all the teams to be able to take a break and re-charge from two days of exertion - and Felicity was grateful for that, even as she let her sprained ankle heal. By Day Four, she could walk slowly with a limp, without the crutch lent by the clinic, with only bandages keeping her ankle in place. But that day turned out to be a rather disappointing day. The team had lost the chance to make it to the championship round of the wrestling competition due to a technicality, and they only placed third. Felicity felt so bad for their teammate; Johnny had been pushing and fighting hard even if the other boys were slightly taller or bigger than him. Oliver, on the other hand, was furious over the referee's call. He marched briskly to the guy with clenched fists, severely agitated and angry, and had to be asked to leave the game after he'd used some pretty crisp cuss words to express his grievance to the game official, who he nearly punched had Felicity not intervened in time.

She led him away from the crowd and towards the docks. They sat there with their feet hanging down, soaking in salty water to cool off. She had just witnessed the cocky, ill-tempered side of Oliver Queen, and she was still trying to process what had just happened. She realized that even a changed man still has vestiges of his old self tucked away inside. She wondered momentarily if there were more to his dark side than such kind of outburst, and if that mystery was something she could live with once it surfaced. But she wasn't going to judge him. She knew that she was capable of the same thing given the same kind of provocation, so she didn't say a word. She simply waited. When he had cooled down, he realized he had gone too far, much to his shame and regret.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," he apologized humbly. He couldn't look at her.

"Mm-hmm… Is that all?" she responded.

"And… I'm sorry for blowing my temper. In front of all those people."

"In front of the kids," she quickly added.

He let out a deep sigh. "I'll have a talk with them… and with that guy… later."

"You should."

"I will."

Nothing more was said. But as they walked back to rejoin their group, her smaller, softer hand snugly nestled in his larger, warmer one. Felicity had decided that a good man was not someone who never faltered or never erred; he was one who never let pride get in the way of a genuine apology when he did falter or err. He was Oliver Queen, and she was growing fonder of him by the day.


	4. Chapter 4: Playing Games (Part 2)

**Chapter 4: Playing Games (Part 2)**

 **A/N: I'm so sorry it took me so long to update. This chapter was quite difficult to write because I had to do some reading and research on some of the sports included in this chapter. This is the continuation of the previous chapter with the same title, and it is perhaps the longest one I've ever written in a multi-chapter book. I do hope you still enjoy it, coz I sure did enjoy writing it!**

* * *

The morning of Day Five of the Camp Adventure's Survivor Challenge was the day of the rowing race. This was the race that made Oliver and Felicity most anxious because neither of them knew anything about rowing. Team Olicity dreaded this race since Day One. Nevertheless, Felicity, who had been in a contagiously positive mood that day, encouraged the team by saying, "No worries! There's no crisis or challenge that a tablet and Google in the hands of Felicity Smoak can't solve." She read up on the sport, its mechanics, techniques, and some basic tips, and by the time Oliver and the tweeners were done with breakfast, she was happy to announce that she was ready to share with the team what she'd learned while they were eating.

Felicity began by telling them: "Judging by the looks of the paddle boats in the docks, I'm guessing that we're in for a coxed octuple sculling race."

"A what?" the boys and girls asked in chorus. Oliver asked the exact same thing in his head, his mouth agape while flashing a puzzled look at his partner.

"I'm sorry," Felicity said, when she realized she was talking over their heads. "What I meant was that in each paddle boat, we will need eight rowers and one coxswain. The cox is the person who sits in the stern facing the bow and the rowers. He steers the boat and coordinates the power and rhythm of the rowers using a cox box and speakers. But I guess since there aren't any in this camp's boats, the cox will just have to keep yelling really loud. The first rower closest to the bow is called the bowman, or the "bow" for short, while the eighth rower closest to the stern and the cox is called the strokeman, or the "stroke." The stroke and the rower next to him set the pace and rhythm for the other rowers to follow. The middle rowers are the power house of the rowing team, while the bow and the rower next to him are supposed to set up the balance of the boat. So I guess the first thing we have to do is decide who among us will be the cox, the bow, the stroke, and the six other rowers."

"Can't Oliver be the cox? He's been doing a great job as our team leader anyway," asked Gracey.

"Well, he is. But based on what I've read so far, the cox needs to be someone who is light, because this requires less effort for the rowers to paddle the boat onwards faster," Felicity answered.

Oliver grinned and then almost instantly spoke up, saying, "Why don't you be the cox, Felicity?" He then gazed at her, admiring how lovely she looked. "You're light, and slender, and…" He suddenly stopped short, to his relief. His old self seemed to have surfaced unexpectedly, and he had almost said "sexy," but he knew that would be inappropriate and embarrassing. Before he could say "petite" though, Johnny beat him to it.

"And sexy!" the stocky thirteen-year-old blurted out without warning. The boys and girls broke out laughing. Some of the boys even whistled, much to Oliver's dismay and humiliation.

"Hey! Cut it out, you guys!" Oliver reprimanded them with a growl. "Apologize to Felicity, and watch your language," he ordered sternly.

Johnny stood up from where he was seated at the far end of the dining table and was the first one to say, "I'm sorry, Ms. Felicity."

Felicity had blushed at the boy's interjection, biting her lip and avoiding eye contact with Oliver. She was a bit embarrassed, but she wasn't upset with Johnny and the kids. They were just being kids. And the language? They had grown up with such, especially those who had spent some time out in the streets before they were brought to the orphanage. She understood.

She looked up at Johnny and said, smiling, "It's okay. I'm not angry. A bit embarrassed, but not angry." She gave him a pat on the back.

Sammy, on the other hand, just couldn't keep his mouth shut. "I'm sorry too, Ms. Felicity. But it's true. You are! Uhm… nice to look at, I mean." The boy wasn't trying to be rude or disrespectful. He simply wanted to compliment her, sincerely this time.

"Why, thank you, Sammy!" Felicity replied, as she ruffled the chinky-eyed tweener's hair.

"Everyone here thinks you're very pretty, miss," Sammy went on to say, "especially Mr. Oliver." He giggled.

The boys' and girls' jaws dropped in shock over what the boy had just said, waiting to see from the reactions of the two adults whether they Sammy was going to be in trouble or not. A second of silence followed.

Felicity had gasped, with poise, of course, and her eyes instantly found their focus on Oliver's blue eyes that were already fixed on her. There was a playful twinkle in his eye and a charming smile on his lips. He said to her, "Well, you are. Very pretty. And nice to look at."

Felicity's face reddened, not with embarrassment or annoyance, but with mirth. She bit her lower lip again and looked down, smiling as she did. Even if she had wanted to say "thank you," those two words just wouldn't come out of her mouth.

At that moment, nothing could stop the wave of teasing that followed for the next minute or so, until Oliver broke it off, steering the topic back to the rowing race.

"Seriously, Felicity, you should take the lead on this one. I have full confidence that you know what you're talking about. With you as the cox, I just know we can pull this off and win the race," he said with a calm, steadfast tone of voice.

"Okay. I accept the challenge," Felicity responded, much to the delight of everyone in the team. The tweeners clapped their hands and cheered for her.

Afterwards the team decided that Sammy and Gracey would be at the bow, and that Oliver would be the team's stroke, who would set the pace and rhythm for the other rowers. Johnny and four of the biggest boys in the team would be the power rowers in middle.

The race officials gathered everyone at the docks quarter past 8:00 and explained that the race was a simplified and shortened "side-by-side," or a sprint race called a regatta. All the boats start at the same time from a stationary position; the rowing teams would then have to paddle hard 500 meters out to sea, go around each of their buoys, and paddle another 500 meters back to the finish line. The team that crosses the line first wins. All the teams were given a couple of hours to practice and try out their boats. After a snack break and a good half an hour of rest, the race was set to begin.

It took Oliver and the team some time to get used to rowing. The camp's paddle boats didn't really have the standard-sized oars. He and Felicity first had to explain and demonstrate to the kids how to scull properly, that is, how to properly use two paddles, one in each hand, simultaneously. Felicity read aloud from her tablet some tips on rowing strokes and proper breathing techniques while rowing. Oliver tried his best to demonstrate those tips to them as best he could. At first, the tweeners were having difficulty balancing the strokes of their right and left hands, causing their boat to spin around crazily or move forward in zigzags; however, after some time they got the hang of it. Soon Felicity as coxswain and Oliver as strokeman were guiding their rowing team in a synchronized, rhythmic way. After almost two hours of practice, he and she had been very happy and pleased with their accomplishment. They both agreed that win or lose, they were already proud of what the team had achieved that day, and they had lots of fun, too.

The biggest surprise at the end of that memorable morning was that Team Olicity's rowing crew crossed the finish line first. The rest of the team members were cheering wildly at the docks as they returned. Oliver's and the rowers' hands had a few blisters on their palms and fingers. Felicity was breathless and almost voiceless. But, the entire team was ecstatic over their astonishing, surprising victory.

Oliver got out of the boat first and helped each member of his team onto the docking bay. The last man out was Felicity. She reached for his hand, and as he pulled her up out of the boat, she reached forward and flung her arms around his neck excitedly.

"We did it!" she exclaimed with glee.

"Yeah, we did," he concurred. He hadn't been as blissful over their success as she was at that instant. It wasn't because he wasn't happy to have won; it was because he was more pleasantly surprised and thrilled that she had spontaneously sprung up and embraced him without second thoughts or hesitation. He welcomed this delightful gesture by wrapping his tired but strong arms around her waist, and then he whirled her around as he let out a joyful, triumphant laugh. After a few twirls, he let her down easy, slowly, as her hands slid down from the back of his neck to his shoulders.

"Congratulations," he said to her softly, looking into her eyes. "You were some coxswain, Ms. Smoak."

"Thank you, Mr. Queen. But this Smoak couldn't have done it without her Stroke," she replied. When she realized what she had just said, she winced and blinked several times. "Did I just say _her_ Stroke? I meant _our_ Stroke. I mean, you're certainly not mine, as in I-own-you. You were the team's strokeman. Yeah, that's it." She sighed in humiliation. "My brain-to-mouth filter must have been jogged by all that whirling and twirling."

"Whatever," Oliver simply replied. He took both her hands off his shoulders and drew them into his chest. "I can't believe we won some race that we knew nothing about when this day started." He chortled. "We make a pretty good team… you and me." He was beaming, and so was she. She knew he meant something more with what he said. She just didn't know how to respond to it. She was speechless.

When Felicity finally snapped out of her trance, she tried to squeeze her hands out of his grip. He grimaced and yelped mildly, "Ow!"

"What?" she asked. She then took his hands and examined the blisters on his palm and fingers. "Looks like we're going on another trip to the clinic," she winked at him.

She took Oliver and the other rowers in their team to the clinic for some blister first-aid before they all headed to the mess hall for lunch. He didn't mind the blisters; he could still feel her soft hands fondling his own. And he certainly didn't mind another visit to the clinic, as long as it was with her.

* * *

Day Six was supposed to be the easiest for Oliver because he was a quite a proficient amateur archer. But with the blisters from yesterday's race, the archery competitions were still going to be a challenge for him. The contest had two categories. Oliver was going to be the team's bet for the singles category. The team category, on the other hand, posed another challenge to Team Olicity. Competition rules disqualified the solo competitors from joining the team category, so Oliver could no longer be part of the rowing team in that race. Their strongest competitors were still aching from their own set of blisters from yesterday's rowing race, so the team had to choose their players for the archery contest from among those who weren't as physically adept.

Game officials distributed sets of compound bows, arrows, release aids, and other protective equipment to each team. It was announced that the competing teams can use the entire morning training how to shoot arrows at targets that had been set up for each team in the huge open field east of the camp site.

After having each of his blister-free team members try holding a compound bow and drawing its string, Oliver decided on whom to pick. He chose two boys from his group, two girls from Felicity's group, and of course, Felicity herself. Initially, Felicity had vehemently opposed the idea. "My fingers were designed for the computer keyboard, not a bow and arrow!" she had said. But Oliver had convinced her to at least try because he was counting on her and the four other tweeners to deliver for the sake of the team.

Oliver and the team of five spent the entire morning learning how to use a compound bow. First, he taught them the correct stance; since they were all beginners, he thought it best to just let them master a neutral stance. Next, he had to teach them how to properly load and nock an arrow, how to draw the string and release the arrow, and then how to aim at a target effectively. He tried to teach them the best yet the easiest shooting and aiming techniques he remembered learning from his instructor, because he knew that the team competition would be won by the cumulative points earned by all five members of the team. Each one would have to score as best as possible.

Felicity opted to be taught last because she didn't want the rest of the team watching her all the while. When their boys and girls were dismissed from training and left for an early lunch at the mess hall, she could no longer stall the inevitable. She took a deep breath and then walked over to where Oliver stood, about 30-40 meters away from their team's target.

"I'm nervous," she said. Her voice was a bit raspy because of all the yelling she'd done as cox in the rowing race the previous day. "I totally suck at stuff like this."

Oliver just smirked. "You'll do fine. If anything embarrassing happens, I promise not to laugh."

Oliver instructed her to stand tall and plant her feet firmly on the ground. "Uhm, the leg that's furthest from the shooting line must be a half to a whole foot-length from your other foot. Your feet should be about a shoulder-width apart," he instructed. "And then, position your body perpendicular to the target and the shooting line." She shifted her feet several times but could not exactly execute what he'd just told her to do.

Felicity felt awkward and embarrassed at her failure to execute what was supposed to be a very simple first step in this highly sophisticated process of shooting an arrow at a target. "I told you. My genius definitely does not include spatial-kinesthetic abilities," she said, disappointment lacing her voice. At that moment, there was nothing else she missed more than writing code or hacking into a firewall.

Oliver thought that the best way to get her to learn the proper stance was to show her and then to actually guide her through it instead of just telling her what to do. That was how he'd done it with the four tweeners earlier, but he was afraid to touch Felicity – afraid that she might misinterpret his intentions, and even more scared that he might not be able to control himself once he lingers within a hair's breadth from her for very long. So, he decided he would just have to ask for her permission, like any good gentleman would.

"I… I can show you how it's done," he offered, "if… if you'd let me." He paused, trying to read a response from her face. "But I… I'll have to show you up close, if that's okay with you?"

Felicity had her arms crossed in front of her chest. She tilted her head sideways, her eyes narrowing as she thought about his proposed solution to the situation. A second or so passed, then her eyebrows shot up and she said, "Oooo-kaaay… I guess we can try that."

Oliver walked up to her and demonstrated a neutral stance in front of her. Afterwards, he said, "May I?" gesturing with his hands that he intended to touch her. When she nodded, he placed both his hands on her waist and made her pivot to the proper position perpendicular to the target. Felicity closed her eyes and grit her teeth to keep herself from squealing. She had not foreseen where those warm, gentle hands were going to land when she decided to let him touch her, and her waist was the most ticklish part of her body – well, next to the back of her knees, which was where his hands landed next. Oliver had no idea he was causing shivers up and down her spine and activating goose bumps all over as he touched her legs to position them properly for the stance. Felicity stood frozen like a block of ice. It took every ounce of self-control she could muster to restrain herself from giggling.

"Something wrong?" Oliver asked.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing's wrong," she replied without looking at him.

"Well, uhm… I don't think you'll learn how to use a bow and arrow with your eyes closed." He struggled to hold back a chuckle.

When Felicity opened her eyes, she saw Oliver holding out a compound bow in front of her. "Oh. Thanks," she muttered as she took the bow from his hand.

Oliver proceeded to show her how to load the bow with an arrow. He had her point the bow toward the ground, tipping it slightly clockwise of vertical. He then handed her an arrow and showed her how to place its shaft on the arrow rest and how to attach the back of the arrow to the bowstring with the nock, making sure that the cock feather is pointing away from the bow to improve the clearance of the arrow as it passes the arrow rest. The compound bow they had been given was fitted with a launcher, a special kind of arrow rest, which Oliver was familiar with. When he let Felicity try loading the bow and nocking the arrow, she was too nervous that she dropped the arrow and it fell to the ground.

"I'm sorry," she sighed, apologetic for fumbling on her first try.

"It's okay. Try it again."

She crouched down to pick up the arrow at about the same time he did, so when she picked it up, his hand grazed hers for a moment. They looked at each other for a second, and then she looked away and straightened up. She tried loading and nocking the arrow a couple more times and felt more comfortable doing it, earning the praise of her avid tutor. On her third try, she pulled up and raised the bow. She asked, "So what's next?"

Oliver showed her the proper way of doing a string hold and drawing the string. In order to do that, he positioned himself in the same stance… very, very close behind her. His arms enveloped her slender frame, as he held the bow and arrow in place. He prompted her to mirror the position of his arms as if she was the one holding the bow and arrow. He made sure he observed extra care so that their hips were not touching, because he doesn't even want to think about what that would do to him. He wanted to help her, but he wanted it done modestly because to him, Felicity was a special girl that deserved respect. When he was satisfied that she had gotten the stance and the position right, he let her hold the bow and arrow. He helped her position her three fingers for the string hold and then guided her in drawing the string, pulling the arrow to the anchor point.

Felicity was shaking. Her hands and arms were trembling and her knees were threatening to give way. Oliver sensed her fear as she said with panic in her voice, "I don't think I can do this!"

"Yes, you can!" he countered with a louder than normal voice, so close to her ear and so emphatically that Felicity was startled out of her wits. She abruptly and clumsily released the string prematurely, unintentionally hitting Oliver's jaw with her elbow and stepping backwards with her heel on his right foot. "Ow!" he cried out in pain.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Oliver! Are you all right?"

It took him a moment to recover from that sudden jolt. It did hurt, but he didn't have the heart to tell her that. "I've had worse," he simply replied, shaking his head while smirking.

After apologizing for the -nth time, Felicity was convinced to give it another try. This time, Oliver decided he was going to be more careful, calmer, and more reassuring in his approach.

When they resumed their previous position with Felicity assuming the proper stance right in front of him, he instructed her to load and nock the arrow. When she raised the bow, he told her, "Keep your feet anchored to the ground," and then he wrapped his left arm around the front of her waist and firmly tugged her closer to him until she was leaning on his stalwart frame for support, with both their legs perfectly aligned. When she gasped in response to his unexpected prompt, he rested his head on hers, pressing his lips into her hair close to the back of her ear. He calmly whispered, "Relax. Take a deep breath. I'll guide you." And she did. Her body relaxed into his, and as she took a deep breath, he lifted his right arm and aligned it with her drawing arm, placing his hand on top of hers. His hand then prompted her hand to draw the string backwards, forming a T-position. He helped her draw the string to the anchor point until they heard a clicking sound. "That's the clicker," he said softly. "When you hear the clicking sound, you've reached the correct draw length, and you are just about ready to let go. Do you understand?" Felicity nodded. He released his hold on her and said, "Okay, let's do that again."

Truth be told, Felicity seriously considered not doing that again. Because really, being that close to Oliver and having his lips pressed against the side of her head whispering words in the most soothing way – it was absolutely unnerving for her! The irony was that being enveloped in his arms had made her stop shaking and had calmed her nerves somehow. She couldn't deny that he had a paradoxically distressing yet calming effect on her. She had been engulfed by Oliver Queen's warm and muscular body, but she didn't feel violated, and she sensed that he wasn't taking advantage of her at all. She had actually felt… safe.

Felicity also reminded herself that she needed to do this for the team. She needed to conquer her nervousness or else she might not score anything for her team. She didn't want to let the kids down. So, she picked up the bow and arrow and did it all over again.

"When you hear the click, don't take too long to release the arrow. Compound bows are often held at full draw for a short time to achieve maximum accuracy," he explained. "When you are ready to release, just relax the fingers of your drawing hand and let go. That will trigger the mechanical release aid. Your drawing arm must stay rigid, but your bowing hand must be relaxed. And it's not enough to use just your arm when you draw back the string, you'll have to use your back muscles as well. This will help you follow through with our body once you let go of the arrow. Follow through affects accuracy in hitting your target."

"I see," Felicity responded affirmatively.

"Are you ready?" Oliver asked.

When she nodded, they assumed their previous position, and she was now more comfortable with it. She leaned back, relying on him for support until her head was pressed against his jaw. She took a deep breath as she drew the string with three fingers. Oliver then spoke softly near her ear, so close that his warm breath almost distracted her again, "Now look straight ahead. Eyes on the target. Steady… steady…" When she heard the sound of the clicker, he whispered, "Let go." She did. The arrow flew across the sandy beach and hit the target, not too far from the bull's-eye. She lowered the bow as her jaw dropped open, forming a big O with her mouth.

"I can't believe it!" Felicity screamed in astonishment. Her heart was pounding like the bass of a beat box. She turned around to face Oliver, whose arm had still been draped across her waist. "Thank you!"

"You did it," he praised her.

"I had help," she remarked, as a wide smile grew on her face. "We're gonna knock 'em dead later!" she said to him proudly, as she squirmed out of his arm. And then, at the spur of the moment, she gave him a peck on his cheek, handed him the bow, and walked away towards the camp site, snickering like an enthused little girl.

That time, Oliver was the one caught by surprise. She had kissed him first. He wondered what that meant. It took him a moment to process what had just happened, and then he started to run after her. "Felicity, wait!"

Sure enough, Team Olicity knocked the other teams dead. They bagged first place in the team category of the archery competitions, but the runner up wasn't trailing that far behind. When the game officials said that the points for the team category would be added to the points of the singles category, Oliver felt the pressure taking its toll on him. He didn't want to disappoint his team. He couldn't, not after they had learned from him everything they had put their minds to do earlier that day.

Felicity saw the worried look on his face and clapped his back. "Hey! Don't worry. You'll do great," she said. And turning to the rest of the team, she added with a smile, "We'll still love you, win or lose."

It turned out the singles category was not really the usual or more popular types of contests like target archery or field archery, which Oliver had prior experience in. Everyone was taken aback that the competition was going to be an adapted type of "archery golf" where competing archers shoot arrows into a series of targets or goals on a course using the fewest number of shots. Each archer will go through the course one at a time and may shoot at each target set up throughout the course as many times as necessary until he hits the bull's-eye. In case there was a tie in the fewest number of shots, the fastest time would be the tie break.

Oliver thought that while he might be new to this type of archery game, he had a very good chance of winning it because, not only was he familiar with the rules of golf (having played the game so many times with his dad in the past), he could also run fast and he loved the challenge of finishing a course. He was so looking forward to this contest, not just for the win, but even more so for the thrill of it.

The course was set up in the wooded area just beyond the open field. Before the contest started, the competing archers drew lots, and Oliver was slated to be the last competitor. The combined team from Coast City was represented by a guy named Hal Jordon, who finished the course in less than 15 minutes but shot twice as many arrows as Barry Allen, the representative of the combined team from Central City who clocked in the fastest time so far. The archers from the two other combined teams didn't do quite as well, so Barry Allen was the guy to beat.

Oliver took slow, deep breaths as he stood at the starting line of the course. With bow in hand a quiver full of arrows securely strapped onto his body, he looked up and surveyed all the targets he could spot ahead of him. From where he was standing, he could already see four targets clearly, and he could barely see three more beyond the hill. Just before the gunfire was to signal the start of his race, he looked over his shoulder and saw his team cheering. He saw Felicity and locked onto her gaze, capturing his heart with a drop-dead-gorgeous smile. She gave him a two-thumbs-up and then a fist pump in the air, as she yelled in her still slightly hoarse voice, "Knock 'em dead, Oliver!"

And that's exactly what he did. He clocked in five seconds earlier than Barry Allen and hit all targets throughout the course using only one arrow for each one. It was a record-breaking run for the archery competitions of Adventure Camp's Survivor Challenge. That put him in first place, earning the most number of points for his team in the singles category, and making Team Olicity the overall winner in the archery competitions for the day.

The team celebrated with two rounds of mint chocolate chip ice cream, after yet another trip to the clinic, where the camp nurse treated some of Oliver's blisters that had become open wounds and begun to bleed.

"You sure you can still do the biking leg of tomorrow's triathlon?" Felicity asked him as they left the clinic together. "Maybe you should let your hands rest. They don't look so good." She frowned in agitation.

Oliver grinned and answered, "Winning can be costly, you know. I'll manage. Besides, this doesn't hurt so much."

"What is it with men like you? Will you please just drop the tough guy image?! It doesn't hurt to admit you have limitations," Felicity snapped at him, irritated at his seeming stubbornness.

Oliver was taken aback by her sudden outburst. "Uh… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… I was just trying to-"

"Impress me?" Felicity interrupted him quite impulsively.

"No, that's not it at all," he replied in his defense. He tried to stay calm and hide his hurt, but the disappointment was written all over his face.

They stood just outside the clinic in a stalemate. After a minute of silence, Oliver spoke. "I wasn't trying to impress you, Felicity. I just… I just didn't want to let the team down by backing out. The championship trophy is just within our reach."

"Oh… I see." Felicity was instantly overcome with humiliation and regret that she had so swiftly jumped to conclusions and judged her friend. "I apologize for misjudging you. I… I'm sorry. I… uh… tend to get jumpy when I'm stressed."

"What's stressing you out?"

Suddenly, unpredictably, Felicity reached for his bandaged hands and began to stroke his palms gently, her eyes filled with what Oliver could only surmise was… genuine concern. "Look, your blisters look really bad. I mean, if I had these… these open wounds right now, you wouldn't hear the end of my whining and complaining and… These must really hurt. And if you insist on doing the biking thing tomorrow, these won't heal properly, and they'd continue to hurt and… and I don't want you to keep hurting because I… I'm just… worried about you, you know?"

Oliver thought that that was the sweetest thing she'd ever said to him so far. Her babbling simply took his breath away. "She cares about me," he thought, hardly able to contain the elation inside him. He decided to return the caring gesture.

"Well, if it's worrying you so much, then maybe I shouldn't go biking tomorrow," he said. "Would you feel better if I traded places with Kim? She can do it, right? I can do the long distance run instead." This time, he took her hands in his and started rubbing circles on her knuckles with his blister-free thumbs.

"Yeah. That's better. Kimberly will do fine on the bike. You'd be much better off running," Felicity replied, relieved that he had listened to her sentiment.

"All right then, it's settled." He smiles at her with so much affection it nearly knocks her off her feet.

"O-kay…" Felicity steps back and retracts her hands, realizing that they've been tangled with his hands long enough.

* * *

The last day of the Survivor Challenge came. It was a beautiful, sunny morning. The gulls were perched on top of the cliff overlooking the shoreline, west of the camp site. The salty sea breeze was cool and refreshing. All teams and game officials were at the beachfront, getting ready for the mini-triathlon. The sprint distance race with shortened distances would start off with a 500-meter swim out to sea and back to the beach, followed by a 5-kilometer cycling leg from the campsite towards Coast City, and finally a 5-kilometer run back towards camp.

Felicity was already sitting on her rainbow-striped beach towel, putting on sunscreen when Oliver and his boys arrived at the beach. Her girls were playing with a beach ball close by. He greeted her with a cheerful "hi" and "good morning," and she greeted back. He more than appreciated the terrific sight of her in athletic swimwear, observing her flawless skin and curves as she applied sunscreen on her perfectly sculpted legs. She, in turn, didn't fail to notice how attractively masculine he looked that day wearing his gray running shorts and a black sleeveless singlet that hugged the contours of his chest and abs, and revealed those outrageously well-toned biceps.

"You look great," he remarked favorably on her.

"Thanks! You don't look so bad yourself," she responded, flashing him a lively smile. "Are you and Kim ready to go?"

"Yeah. They're rounding up all the cyclists and runners at the parking lot. The camp van is ready to take us to our transition points. I just wanted to make sure you're okay out here before we go," he replied.

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'll be fine," she said, putting down the sunscreen tube and getting up on her feet. "It's not going to be a long, long distance swim. I've actually done longer relay races before, so… I'll make it." She laughed a bit and then added, "You know, the water and I… we have a love affair going on that began way back when I was just learning how to walk."

Oliver couldn't resist responding to that metaphor with his own. "Really?" He closed the gap between them and continued, "Coz right now… I really, really envy the water that has had you falling in love with it for so long."

"I'm flattered," she quipped, thinking that she could joke her way out of the dialogue.

"I'm serious," he clarified, looking at her straight in the eyes with all the sincerity welling up from his heart. Those two short words were loaded with meaning.

Felicity mentally scolded herself for such an irresponsible use of figurative language in a conversation with a gorgeous guy who has already shown interest and feelings for her in more ways than one. He was looking at her like there was no tomorrow. Her heart was fluttering and her stomach was doing somersaults in an inexplicable mixture of thrill and nervousness. She sensed he wasn't in the mood for kidding at that moment. So, she sobered up and responded to him like a dignified woman should.

"Well, if you're really serious, and you actually look like you're serious, not that I doubt that you're serious…"

"Felicity…"

She wasn't really being dignified as she intended to be. But when Oliver interrupted her by simply uttering her name so affectionately, she finally found the right words to say what she had wanted to say. "I'm sorry… again. What I wanted to say was that… if you're really serious, then I think we should have a serious talk after this is all over," Felicity proposed.

"Mm-hmm. It's about time we did," Oliver agreed. Absolutely. "And I am… serious, I mean. I'm not playing games with you, Felicity."

Felicity wasn't rattled by what he had just sincerely declared. She actually felt peaceful and relieved. She agreed with him that it was time to set the record straight. She looked forward to that talk as much as he did.

With a grin that stretched from ear to ear, Oliver lifted a hand and touched her shoulder. "Enjoy the water, then. And try to give Kim a five-minute lead." He winked at her.

"I'll do my best," she promised.

"You take care out there," he said, squeezing her shoulder tenderly.

"I will. Be safe, too," she replied.

Oliver walked away with Kimberly to go to the rendezvous point for the bikers and runners. When they were about fifty meters away, Felicity hollered, "Hey, Oliver! Bring home the bacon!" He waved back at her and hollered back. "Will do!"

After lunch, the awarding ceremonies for the Adventure Camp Survivor Challenge commenced. Team Olicity was awarded first place in the triathlon and declared as the overall champions of the week-long competitions. Oliver and Felicity couldn't have been more proud of the feat that they and their tweeners had accomplished in the last seven days.

Felicity had gone beyond Oliver's expectations and swam all of 500 meters in freestyle as if she was trying out for the U.S. Olympic swimming team, giving Kimberly a seven-minute lead. That had really worked in the team's favor, because as Kim biked past the two-kilometer marker, the girl had a minor accident. Her left calf had cramped; she panicked and fell, scraping her knee on the asphalt surface of the road. The camp's medic had immediately administered first aid, and after ten minutes, Kim was back on her bike, pedaling hard like a true survivor to catch up with two other cyclists who had overtaken her. When she had reached the transition point and tagged Oliver, they were only less than a minute behind the leading team.

Oliver had run the first kilometer as if it were a sprint race, and when he had caught up with Barry Allen, the runner who was in the lead, he had begun to slow down and pace himself. For the next three to four kilometers, Barry and Oliver were running neck-and-neck for the lead, panting almost in cross-rhythm with each other, their feet slamming hard on the asphalt road as they vied for first place. About 500 meters away from the finish line, Oliver could see the crowds cheering up ahead. He had wondered if Felicity was there, remembering the request that she had hollered before he left for his race. He had kept his eyes on the finish line and sprinted the last 400 meters without looking over his shoulder as Barry Allen fell back behind him. And there, up ahead, amidst a crowd of spectators, was the blonde beauty that he was running for. Running to.

When Oliver's chest had broken the tape and the game official at the finish line had clocked in his time with a stopwatch, he slowed down. But he hadn't stopped running. He circled back and jogged to where he had seen Felicity cheering right by the finish line. He finally came to a full stop right in front of her. With his chest heaving and sweat dripping to the ground, he bent over and placed his hands on his knees. He had scarcely managed to catch his breath when he said to her in between heavy panting, "Now... we can… have that… talk. Right?"

Felicity laughed, approached him, and slung a towel around his neck. "That can wait," she replied, and then she stepped back. "Right now you're panting like a crazy mad dog. And you're all sweaty! I can't even bring myself to give you a victory hug."

"Oh, really? Sweaty, huh?" Oliver gave her a mischievous, naughty glare that made her eyebrows shoot up to her hairline. She sensed what he was about to do as he closed in on her, acting like a crazy mad dog.

Oliver took the towel that was draped around his neck and corralled her with it around her waist. He pulled her close, and when his arms were already wrapped around her upper body in a bear hug, he lifted her off the ground and carried her back to camp where the rest of their teammates were waiting.

"Oliver, hey! Put me down!" Felicity cried out in protest. "I've just showered and now I've got sweat all over me. What are you doing?!"

"I'm bringing home the bacon!" he joked.

She was yelling and thrashing. He was laughing out loud and enjoying the moment. To him, Felicity certainly had come to mean a lot more to him than the "bacon" of that age-old idiom, and he wondered if someday he could really bring her home.

* * *

 **A/N: And there you have it! Do let me know what you think. Comments and encouraging words are always nice to read. Thanks! And if there are any expert rowers or archers reading this fanfic, please forgive me for any mistakes I may have made about your sport.**


	5. Chapter 5: Heart to Heart

**Chapter 5: Heart to Heart**

 **A/N: I'm happy that it took me only a week to update with this new chapter despite the many things I have to do at work and home. I honestly don't know how you would receive this chapter, but I will very much appreciate you taking the time to post a review whether your response is positive or negative. I sure do hope more of you will like this instead of not. This story has 89 follows to date, but only about 8 reviews. Reviews mean a lot, as most of you who also write know. But still, thank you so much for reading and following and for making it a favorite.**

* * *

Oliver and Felicity did have their talk.

Oliver had been more than pleased and eager. Earlier that day he had run like he'd never run before. Beating Barry Allen wasn't his goal. Neither was merely winning the triathlon and bagging the championship trophy of the Adventure Camp Survivor Challenge that summer. Reaching that finish line where Felicity stood cheering him on as soon as possible was his aim. Because the sooner he crossed that line, the sooner they could cross over the line of mere friendship into something more. Or not.

He had been reading the signals she'd been sending him – consciously or unconsciously, he wasn't sure. Being the expert female body language reader and interpreter that he was, he easily speculated and concluded certain things. First, he was sure that she didn't hate him. Since their awkward first encounter in the clinic, she hadn't given him another cold shoulder. She hadn't rejected any kind word or deed he had proffered her or her tweeners. She obviously had fun being partners in the games. She'd been gracious and accommodating. Second, each time he'd shown her that he liked her, she somehow showed him that she liked him back. She'd reward his efforts with the most breath-taking smile, and she eventually felt comfortable giving him a hug when their team won. And that kiss on his cheek! Although it had been unmistakably clear to him that to her, the kiss was harmless, nothing passionate or borne out of desire, and certainly not suggestive of anything else but the thrill of having learned how to shoot an arrow at a target with him as her personal instructor, he still saw it as an indication that she was, at the very least, already comfortable with him. It was an evidence of a growing trust. And for him, that was more than he could ask for at this point. The third thing he was sure of was that she cared. For him, specifically. She had risked becoming vulnerable and showing him her ire when she thought he was trying to impress her by pretending he was okay with the cycling leg of the triathlon despite the blisters on his hands. Yes, she had let him see how she can be when she's irked and agitated, but only because she didn't want him to keep hurting. He thought that it was another angle of the sweet and thoughtful side of her at work, and he really, really liked her even more for that.

He had been so looking forward to their talk that he had taken all afternoon to prepare what he was going to say. He had written down a pretty impressive speech. He had also sent his boys off on free time so that he could have the cabin to himself and rehearse that very speech in front of the mirror. After more than twenty repetitions, he crumpled the sheet of paper – that had already been smudged and wrinkled anyway after an hour of holding on to it with clammy hands – and decided that he would just speak from his heart.

Felicity, on the other hand, had been a bit nervous. Okay… a bit more nervous. Because she was not only smart but also sensitive, she had deduced from his actions in the last two weeks that he was more than interested in her. But that wasn't the reason she had been quite anxious, as she waited for him down at the far end of the boardwalk, thirty minutes before they had agreed to meet there at sundown for their talk. She had been anxious because her _mind_ had not yet made up _what_ to say to him, and because her _heart_ had not yet made up _how_ to say it to him, without having to give away too much of herself at this early stage in their relationship. Friendship. Courtship. Whatever it's called.

"See? That's why he and I need this talk. I don't even know what to call it anymore," she told herself as she paced back and forth, almost straining her still-healing ankle in the process.

He had been very clear about his intentions right from the start. He had shown her multiple times that he liked her and that he was pursuing something more than casual acquaintance and congenial camaraderie as fellow camp chaperons. Oh, it wasn't just the way he looked at her, or the way he touched her (and only when he really had to). It wasn't just the big and little deeds of charity and kindness he had shown towards her, her girls, and everybody else at camp. It wasn't just because he can make her laugh or melt her heart. It was… the affection and gentleness and respect wrapped up in this uniquely refreshing kind of relationship she had never yet experienced with anyone other than her beloved foster parents, who had loved her unconditionally. "I'm not playing games with you, Felicity," she remembered him saying to her. His declaration of intent was clear: he wanted them to be more than just friends.

The only question she still had at the back of her mind was whether or not that intention was as sincere as it was clear. That had yet to be proven, and that had to take more time… and testing. After all, he was Oliver Queen. She had to be sure this new version of the much-publicized billionaire's son was "for real" before she invested any more emotion and affection than she was willing to give when she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt the week before. She really, really liked OQ version 2.0. Maybe the guy had really changed for the better, but she knew that she still had to run a thorough, system scan on him before she could give him access to any of her fragile heart's drives where she had carefully saved her more confidential files.

The sun was beginning to set over the horizon, and the once powder blue sky had turned into a pinkish orange hue. By the time her thirty minutes of careful thought were up, dusk had brought him to the squeaky boardwalk, and he stood beside her with his hands in the pockets of his denim jeans.

"Hey," Oliver greeted and got her attention. "Hey," she greeted back with a smile. Her blue eyes appeared in shades of gray, but they sparkled like the ripples of sea waters just below where they were standing, as the last rays of sunlight reflected on them. Looking at them, Oliver had temporarily forgotten why he stood there in the first place. For about a minute neither of them spoke. They were just content with looking deeply into each other's eyes, the faint glow of the setting sun in the background adding to the dramatically romantic atmosphere.

It was Felicity who broke the silence after letting out a delicate sigh. "How are your hands?"

"Rested. Thanks to you," he replied. "How's your ankle?"

"Much better, thank you," she answered. "No more swelling. And the yellowish bruise is hardly noticeable now." She paused, her eyes narrowing. "So…"

"So… moving on from small talk… I guess I have to be the one to start, don't I?"

Felicity nodded, biting her lower lip and raising her eyebrows.

Oliver placed his forearms on the railing of the boardwalk, mimicking Felicity's position. He looked down at his hands and he noticed his fingers doing that thing whenever he's tense. Felicity noticed it too. She grabbed his left fist with her right hand and squeezed.

"Just say it," she said with a chuckle. "I promise not to butt in and babble." She then released her grip on his hand and resumed her original position of resting both her forearms on the railing.

Felicity was trying to be funny, to lighten the mood. Oliver took it as a much-needed incentive to proceed. He cleared his throat and began to speak.

"I… uh… I think you have a pretty good idea of who Oliver Queen was, and I'm not proud of that. In fact, if I am to be honest with you – and I assure you that I am – you have to know that… I'm here with the boys because I have to be. Serving in the orphanage was my… my uh… it's…"

"It's community service that's part of your probationary status for having been arrested and pleading guilty on a DUI charge. I know. I did my homework," Felicity interrupted, but in a very calm and nonjudgmental manner. "And I know I promised not to interrupt you, but it seemed like you needed some help getting it out. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he looked down sheepishly and grinned. And then he asked, "That doesn't bother you?"

"What? Your criminal record?" she asked in return.

Oliver nodded once and then tilted his head as he waited for an answer.

"Everybody's got a record, Oliver, criminal or otherwise. I know I do. I've made some mistakes in the past myself, but I don't let them keep me from moving forward. I learn from them instead. And based on what I've seen in the last two weeks – but then again, I could be wrong – I think that Oliver Queen has been trying his best to turn his life around. This version of you that I've been getting to know is… not too bad," she explained. "I guess… what I'm saying is that your record and your past do not bother me as much anymore."

"Anymore?" he asked again. That one word told him that she had indeed had a negative impression of him to begin with. He was interested in what changed, how, and why.

"Uh-huh," Felicity replied. She paused, trying to figure out the best way to phrase her response in a less offensive way, but she knew that what she was about to say would surely sting no matter how well she sugar-coated it, so she decided to just speak candidly and see how maturely or immaturely he would take it.

She turned around and rested her elbows on the railing this time. "What I mean is that… I used to think what most people in Starling must be thinking – that you're nothing but a bratty, spoiled, billionaire playboy, who had no sense of responsibility and values, and who just went out and did whatever made him feel good, even if it hurt others and ruined himself." When she was finished, she looked down and just waited for him to respond.

"Point well taken, Ms. Smoak," Oliver responded, while staring at his fists. Felicity's gaze was now fixed on him. With a sober look on his face, he continued, "That's a fairly accurate description of who I _**was**_. I've really made a mess of my life, and I'm trying really hard to turn things around. I've been given this one chance to prove that I can do it, and I… I don't wanna waste it. And… meeting you…"

Oliver paused, meeting Felicity's gaze. He then turned around and rested his elbows on the railing as well, less than a foot away from her. "Meeting you has given me an even better reason to become a better person, a better man," he said with resolve and confidence. "You. You're a very special person, you know that? You're beautiful, and smart, and kind, and funny… and you're not like all the others who'd flirt or throw themselves at me because of my appearance, or because of my family's bank account or social standing. You're… different."

"Yeah, I'm the only geek in Oliver Queen's set of girl friends," Felicity quipped, laughing at her own joke.

Oliver's eyes narrowed as he stared at her. "I'm not joking," he said to her.

"I'm sorry," she replied with puppy dog eyes, "and I promise not to butt in again until you're done."

"Felicity," he said tenderly, "I've never met a girl quite like you. I think I never will. That's why… I'd like to get to know you more. If you'll let me?"

He had asked her a plain and simple question, so she took that to mean that he was done with what he had wanted to say and was now waiting for her answer. So she said, "And how do you suggest we do that?"

Oliver thought for a moment and then replied, "Well, I'm new to this type of honest-to-goodness type of… of…" He stopped and chortled for a while. "It's funny; I don't even know what to call it."

Felicity raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, amused and curious of how he would pursue his line of thought.

Oliver scratched the back of his head, and then he found the words to say. "What do you say we just go down the route of tradition and do the way normal people do? For starters, we can go out at least once a week when we get back to Starling. You know, dinner? Talk. More dinner, and more talk," he proposed.

"You mean, dating?" she asked to clarify what he meant.

"Yeah, something like that."

He looked at her a bit bashfully, but she quickly and confidently answered, "I don't believe in dating. Not anymore."

Oliver's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. He was absolutely dumbfounded at her response. In his mind he asked, "What does she mean she doesn't believe in dating? How in the world are two people going to ever get to know each other without dating?"

"You realize you said all that aloud, don't you, Oliver?" Felicity asked him with a naughty smirk on her face, and Oliver's eyes widened even more in embarrassment. It had been just two weeks since he met her, and she was already rubbing off on him.

"Oh," he said as he shut his eyes. "I apologize. I was… I was just stunned by what you said. No one has ever said that to me before."

"I understand," she said with a comforting smile. "That's what guys in the office say when they ask me to go out on a date with them. One guy even cursed and called me crazy." She laughed. "But seriously, I'm sorry, Oliver, but I've kissed dating goodbye."

Oliver was too flabbergasted to say anything. He was totally at a loss for words. What else could he offer her if dating was out of the question? "Felicity Smoak is really something else, full of surprises," he thought to himself.

It took him a long while to compose himself and think. Felicity had stepped back from the railing and turned away, meaning to start walking back to the campsite, by the time Oliver had thought of what to say next. He couldn't think of an alternative to dating, so he thought of asking her why she had stopped believing in dating instead. He really wanted to know why.

"Why?" he asked. His very short question made her stop and turn back to look at him, still standing by the boardwalk railing.

"Why what?" she asked in response.

"Why don't you go dating anymore?" he asked. The expression on his faced was one of sincere curiosity, and she found it very difficult to deny him an honest answer. He walked up to her as he waited for an answer.

"That requires a complicated answer, Oliver," she said. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"I'm all ears."

Felicity sat on a nearby wooden bench beside a beautiful plant box of colorful petunias. She crossed her legs and pat the empty space beside her, inviting him to sit with her. He did take the seat, with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He then turned to her, expectantly waiting for an explanation.

"First of all," she began, "every experience I've had with dating hasn't turn out very well, especially with this one pathetic boyfriend I've ever had the mistake of having. But that's just the flimsy, superficial excuse."

She paused and sighed, not wanting to reminisce her heartache any further; however, she had to mention a little bit more so that he could understand where she was coming from. "I've been hurt before… by that guy I used to date, and that experience caused me to really reflect on what I believed about love and courtship and relationships. I asked myself questions like 'Is that all there is to it?' and 'How can I really get to know a guy for real?' I mean, I dated the guy countless times, but I still didn't know who he really was on the inside. I didn't even see it coming when he tried to…"

She had to stop and take a deep breath because tears started to pool in her eyes. When she had successfully held back her tears and swallowed the imaginary lump in her throat, she continued, "I'm not saying that dating is all bad. I'm just saying that there has to be something better, and that's what I'm looking for. When two people date because they want to get to know each other better, they usually put their best foot forward because they want to impress each other. It's all about packaging oneself – dressing up nicely, going to the best restaurant or what have you, showing off one's best assets or accomplishments, and maybe even flaunting what it is you do for a living. For some, it's a calculated risk to see how far they're willing to go. For those who never get called again by a date that they're interested in, frustration and disappointment set in. For those who take dating a step further, turning it into something more physical than it ought to be, well… so many have gotten hurt… even pregnant. What started out with the simple goal of wanting to get to know each other can easily turn into something else, something more complicated than most people with emotional hang-ups or desires-gone-wrong can handle. It's a human relationship that tends to be built on pretense, and sometimes even lust, instead of pursuing genuine openness and healthy friendship that is based on mutual respect."

"Wow…" was all Oliver could say after her lengthy and profound explanation. He placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, resting his chin on the palms of his hands. He pondered on her words for a moment, and he found everything she had described to be true in his life. Aside from his casual flings, questionable escapades, risky one-night stands with strangers, and the few times he had cheated on Laurel, his dating track record prior to this turning point in his life could be summed up by her words.

When he finally spoke, he spoke with wonder, earnestly curious of how she would respond to his inquisitiveness. "I get what you mean, Felicity. I really, really like you. And because of the fact that you're giving me the chance to talk this openly with you, I figure that you somehow like me too… maybe not as much as I like you… I don't know. But how are we supposed to get to know each other better and see if there's more to this… this liking-each-other-enough, if we don't date? Have you found the alternative you've been looking for?" he asked.

Felicity's response was swift and sure. She shook her head gently and said, "Not yet."

Oliver's forehead creased and his eyes narrowed in confusion. He straightened up and leaned back against the backrest of the bench. He sighed and said, "So what do we do now?"

"I don't know," she answered, and then she quickly challenged him, her voice filled with enthusiasm, "Surprise me."

"You're kidding," he retorted.

"I'm serious," she said. Her smile had instantly faded as she looked him straight in the eye.

When he realized a split-second later that she had meant what she said, he responded, "You are serious."

"Uh-huh."

Oliver leaned forward again and went back to his thinking position. He mused for a while as Felicity patiently waited for his next move. She knew that the next step in their "relationship" would be determined by what he would say or do next. Would he be brave enough and dare to move forward even in unchartered waters? Or would he take the easy way out and back off, thinking that she wasn't worth the challenge? The few "others" who tried had chosen to stay in their comfort zones; they most probably thought she wasn't.

Oliver straightened up and faced her. He took one of Felicity's hands in his and made sure he held her gaze as he spoke. "Felicity, I assure you that my intention of getting to know you more is sincere. I promise to be the best gentleman that I possibly can. I can't promise you that I won't ever hurt you in any way, because I'm not perfect… far from it. But you have my word… that if I ever make a mistake and hurt you because I'm still a work in progress, it won't be because I did it on purpose. If you think that dating is not for you… for us, then I respect that. And even if I'm sure that I want us to be more than just friends in the future, I'm committing to be your true friend for now, if that's what you want."

Felicity smiled from ear to ear as she responded, "Spoken like a true gentleman, and promised like a true friend." Deep inside she was ready to say 'yes' to this respectable man sitting in front of her and wrap her arms around his neck to hold him close. He was so gorgeous in appearance and so honest and humble in his demeanor – a combination she was sure she hadn't seen or will ever see in someone who belonged to the male species. But Felicity Smoak didn't want to be fooled by sweet-talkers ever again, so she cautiously and wisely kept her emotions in check and heeded what her reason had advised her to do. She let go of her painful past and willingly crossed the line into a friendship that she hoped would teach her how to love a changing man fearlessly and unconditionally.

She squeezed his hand and this time, she made sure she held his gaze. "Friendship… _that_ we can do. We can just… do what true friends normally do for each other. Let's wait… and see where the friendship road leads us."

Oliver's eyes were brimming with tears. Deep inside he was ready to kiss her senseless. He didn't just like her. He wanted her. He was falling fast and hard in love with her. At that moment, he was amazed to discover how much self-control he was capable of exercising, and this flooded his heart with so much emotion, he felt like he could burst. This woman sitting in front of him was gentle and pure and beautiful – inside and out. She was 'it' for him, and he'd never been so sure about a girl in his entire life. He was dead set on pursuing her, whatever it takes. But Oliver Queen, who had always been used to getting whatever he wanted, didn't want to be fooled by his sexual drive and his old, reckless ways of wooing and manipulating women ever again, so he prudently and wisely kept his emotions in check and heeded what reason had advised him to do. He let go of his painful past and willingly settled for a friendship that would teach him how to love a precious, fragile woman earnestly and decently.

"Then friendship it is," Oliver replied. He was willing to take their relationship slow and to wait until she was ready to be his girlfriend. If that's what it really means to love someone, then he was eager to learn it.

He stood up and held out his hand to her, which she readily took. Night had fallen as they walked back, the moonlit sky lighting the way back to their respective cabins. They gave each other a friendly, good-night-hug, and then they parted ways. Tomorrow would be the start of a clean slate between two good friends.


	6. Chapter 6: Interested Parties (Part 1)

**Chapter 6: Interested Parties (Part 1)**

 **A/N: Sorry it took so long for me to update. I've been terribly busy... work, home, and training stuff. But, yeah, here is the next chapter. "Interested Parties" is actually written in three parts. So stay tuned for two more chapters of the same title. After that, there will probably be just two more chapters before the story ends. Thanks so much for reading and following this story, especially to those that write reviews. (A special thank you to CataD'Mellark for your wonderful review; for some reason FF keeps me from replying to it.)**

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Another general assembly had been called by Adventure Camp staff in the morning. It was the first day of Week Three, and an important announcement was to be made about the events of the week. The camp director had mentioned to the adult chaperons and counselors in the mess hall that a special guest had arrived to address everyone.

Oliver and Felicity gathered their boys and girls and led them to the main session hall after a rather boisterous discussion over a hearty breakfast about the highs and lows of the week-long Survivor Challenge that had just ended the day before. Everyone in Team Olicity was high-wired and excited for what were in store in their third week of camp, confident that they were ready to take on just about anything together.

When the camp director announced to the assembled tweeners and counselors that the next seven days would no doubt showcase their artistic talents, everyone in the team became wide-eyed, their mouths gaping open in sheer exhilaration. A mixture of thrill and nervousness coursed through their nerves at the thought of participating in the essay and poetry writing contests, sand sculpting competition, the poster-making contest, the dance competition, the band competition, and the highlight of the week – the group musical drama presentations that required every member of the team to participate either by singing, dancing, or acting. All competitions were to be held in the mornings, because the afternoons and evenings were to be devoted to rehearsing for the group presentations, which was the only event to be held in the evening of the sixth day.

Their excitement, however, did not last long. When the camp director announced that there would be new team mergers for the week, their laughter was instantly hushed, and the smiles on their faces faded. No one in Oliver and Felicity's team was happy about that. The boys and girls of Starling City frowned in disappointment that their team would have to break up and merge with two other groups. A couple of girls were teary-eyed, as they all turned to look at their adult chaperons with puppy dog eyes, as if pleading with Oliver and Felicity to do something to change the way things were going to go.

Felicity looked at Oliver with a faint smile on her face. She shrugged her shoulders and then said softly, "It's okay. We've had fun."

Oliver simply nodded. "Yeah, we did. Didn't we? Best summer I've had." He looked into her eyes with a smile just as faint as hers, waiting for an affirmation that she felt the same way. Her smile widened into a grin and she nodded, saying, "Yeah, me too." Oliver then looked at their motley crew and said, "Maybe what they need is just a little pep talk," he said.

Sure, a pep talk would do the trick. What Oliver didn't tell her was that he was probably the one who needed it most at that time. He had gotten used to doing things with her as his partner in the last seven days, and he wasn't prepared to team up with someone else. Well, maybe it was more of him not being willing for _**her**_ to team up with someone else. He wasn't sure. He tried his best to put up a fake smile and keep a straight face, pretending he was listening to the rest of the camp director's announcements and instructions, but his mind was somewhere else. He tuned out the director's voice as the man's words went into one ear and came out the other without his brain ever registering anything.

Oliver's eyes panned the session hall inconspicuously, looking for the other four prospects that would take his place as Felicity's new partner for a week. In the front row directly in front of him was Hal Jordon, with whom he had enjoyed a couple of pleasant conversations about flying and the airline industry. Hal was a licensed pilot and had offered to give Oliver some flying lessons at a discounted price the next time he'd visit Coast City. Although he appeared to be somewhat reserved and introverted, he seemed to be a nice guy. Oliver thought he would treat Felicity well enough.

In the front row to his left, Oliver caught sight of Barry Allen. Barry was a few years younger than him or Hal. He worked for the Central City Police Department as a forensics expert. He was a cool, fun guy who knew how to laugh and have a good time. On several occasions, he had seen him carry on lively conversations with Felicity. The two of them had connected quite easily on subjects like science and technology, as well as television and movie fandoms. Oliver thought that Felicity would be safe and comfortable with him, but he grit his teeth when he considered the possibility that she might end up being too safe and too comfortable with him.

And then on opposite sides of the hall Oliver spotted Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne, two other good-looking guys (well, slightly less good-looking than him) from Bloodhaven and Gotham City, respectively. Dick was a silent type of guy, a bit withdrawn. Oliver had only exchanged polite glances and casual greetings with him over the past two weeks. The man remained a mystery to him. He wondered if Dick Grayson's boys had any fun at all. Bruce, on the other hand, was more of an arrogant snob who took advantage of every opportunity to brag about his company's exploits back in Gotham. He was a billionaire like Oliver, and in many ways Oliver saw himself – his old self – in the man. Bruce had been a visual reminder to him of how totally repulsive it was to be self-absorbed. Oliver kept his fingers crossed, hoping that Felicity wouldn't have to be paired up with either of them. If she had to be, he was convinced that he would have to keep an eye on her all week long.

As Oliver wondered how things would go with Felicity and one of those guys, he searched his heart about why this week's set-up was bothering him. More than necessary. "Am I being a jealous jerk?" he asked himself. He didn't think so. After all, he had no right to be jealous. He wasn't Felicity's boyfriend. In fact, they had just agreed on being friends the night before. "Am I insecure about myself or threatened by these guys?" he asked again. Again, he thought the answer was no. There was no reason for him to compare himself with any of them. Well, maybe there was a little room for a little insecurity. Oliver didn't think any of them had a criminal record like he did, but the thing is, Felicity had already told him that his past entanglements with law enforcement didn't really bother her anymore, and he believed her. So what was his problem?

Oliver turned his head slightly to the left and stole a glimpse of Felicity, who was paying close attention to what the speaker was saying. He thought she looked even lovelier that morning in her pink, sleeveless summer dress, with her hair gathered up in her usual ponytail. He could see her beautiful blue eyes through the dark-rimmed glasses, and he thought her arrow-shaped ear piercing looked cute. He smiled… because he suddenly figured things out. The bothersome feeling wasn't about being insecure or jealous of the other guys, nor was it about him being possessive of her even if he didn't have the right to be. It was about him making sure she'd be treated with the respect and care she needed and deserved. Just as he had tried so very hard to do in the past few days. Just as he still wanted to be able to do… today and every day from then on. Yes, someone else would be paired up with her for the next few days, and he could only hope that guy would be decent and responsible enough to treat well enough someone as precious and important as her. And if that guy didn't, he resolved that Oliver Queen would be there to make sure she'd be okay.

At the end of the camp director's speech, he made a special announcement that the philanthropist, who was the biggest benefactor that had been keeping Adventure Camp open all-year-round, had arrived that morning for a visit and would like to address the assembly. The announcement of the benefactor's name caught Oliver's attention and snapped him out of his musing. Oliver didn't expect the shock that came as soon as the benefactor went up the stage because he immediately recognized the man's face.

Ray Palmer. CEO and son of the founder of Palmer Technologies, one of the most prominent companies based in Coast City that had tried several years ago to buy out majority of the shares of Queen Consolidated when Oliver's father's company had been floundering financially and was on the brink of declaring bankruptcy when U.S. economy suffered during a recession in the mid-2000s. Palmer Tech didn't do business with small-scale entrepreneurs, and Oliver was stunned at how a billion-dollar company that specialized in cutting edge technology would even consider investing in a small-time tourism venture like Adventure Camp.

It wasn't just that. Oliver and Ray had a history, a less than favorable one at that. He and Ray went to business school in the East Coast together and were even roommates. They were somewhat friends during their freshman year, but they parted ways when Oliver joined the fraternity and began spending more time with his frat brothers than he did with a nerdy guy like Ray. Oliver had also been dating a pretty, smart girl on campus named Anna, but when Anna had met Ray one night when Oliver invited her into their apartment, Anna instantaneously became more interested in Ray. That was the end of Oliver and Ray's friendship. They stayed in the same apartment but had not been in speaking terms, just treating each other in a civil manner. As expected, Ray completed his degree program on time, graduated with honors, and made his father proud. Oliver, on the other hand, dropped out in his sophomore year, went AWOL and was dishonorably dismissed, and had to transfer to another university through a back door that a family friend had made possible, making his father sorely disappointed and utterly humiliated.

Those unpleasant memories came rushing in, cluttering his mind, as Ray Palmer made his way to the podium to speak. Ray easily captured his audience with his sense of humor and charming personality. Even Felicity was clapping and chuckling at a couple of his jokes. First, Ray welcomed the tweeners to the camp, wishing that they would enjoy the rest of their time there, and he reiterated the commitment of his company to keep Adventure Camp up and running for years to come. Then he announced that on Sunday (the seventh day of Week Three), all campers and adult chaperons would be going on a tour of Coast City, courtesy of Palmer Tech. The crowd's applause thundered when he added that the tour would culminate in a shopping spree in one of the city's finest malls for clothes, shoes, and accessories to be worn for the special banquet he would be hosting on the last night of camp next week. When he was done impressing the audience, Ray Palmer stepped down. The camp director stepped up to the podium and added that Mr. Palmer would be back later this week to be one of the judges for the group musical drama presentations, and that the members of the winning team would each be receiving the latest models of Smart wristwatches from Palmer Tech. At that announcement, another deafening round of applause filled the session hall, too much for Oliver's liking.

"Mr. Palmer seems to be a very generous person," Felicity remarked gleefully as they walked out of the session hall with their kids.

"A generous show-off, if you ask me," Oliver mumbled softly, thinking that nobody could hear him.

"What was that?" Felicity asked, puzzled at his response. "Nothing," he replied, avoiding her eyes.

"Uhm, okay. See you later," she told him, and then turned to follow the rest of her girls to the lobby to check out the combined team listings.

As if things couldn't get any worse, Oliver found out which girls' team his team was going to be merged with. Isabel Rochev's. Isabel was the goddess of glares. She could terrify a corpse with her death stare and make any member of the male species shudder in disgust with the malicious gaze of her dangerously piercing eyes. Oliver wondered why the orphanage in Coast City entrusted its girls to a woman like that. She was an aggressive, subtly scheming vixen who had been hitting on him quite a few of times since he and his boys set foot on camp. He had been trying his best to avoid her all this time. Perhaps the woman would consider Ray Palmer a better target now, so Isabel might just leave him alone. But how could that happen if Oliver would be stuck with her for a week? Oliver shut his eyes tight and pressed his lips hard. "Heaven, help me!" he silently griped. With the bleak prospect of the week ahead, his heart suddenly and earnestly craved Felicity's company.

Felicity and her girls were in much better company. Their group had been combined with Barry Allen's, and in just minutes, the two groups clicked instantly. In one of the kiosks near the boardwalk, she and Barry led the team in brainstorming about their line-up of contestants for the different contest categories for that week. This time, only the tweeners would be fielded in the various competitions, except for the group musical drama on the sixth day in which the adult chaperons were required to participate. Felicity was relieved to sense some degree of chemistry between her group and Barry's, but deep down inside she thought this synergy was nothing compared to what she and her girls had shared with Oliver and his boys.

Felicity already missed those boys, especially the biggest one. At one point during their brainstorming, while no one was looking, she couldn't help but look away and scan the docking bay and the boardwalk for signs of Oliver and his boys. She spotted them with Isabel Rochev's group of girls in the kiosk nearest the paddleboat docking area. They didn't seem to be having as much fun amongst themselves as she and her girls were with Barry's boys. Only Oliver seemed to be talking, trying hard to facilitate a discussion of some sort. In fact, most, if not all of them looked… bored. All except Isabel.

The woman was busy. She sat on a bench beside Oliver, pressing herself against his right side. Felicity thought she was too close for comfort, but she immediately reined in her feelings. After all, what right had she to entertain even a tinge of jealousy? She knew he wasn't her boyfriend. She reminded herself that they had agreed to be friends just yesterday. She sighed and blinked, and when she opened her eyes, she distinctly saw Oliver push Isabel away almost unobtrusively with his elbow. When the brunette refused to take a hint and leaned into him again, he did it a second time, and then again, a third. Felicity couldn't help but chortle. When Barry asked her what she thought was funny, she just pretended not to know what he was talking about.

The events of the day after the morning snack time were the writing contests. From Felicity's group, Gracey had been selected to represent the team in the essay writing contest, while the geekiest boy from Barry's group had been chosen for the poetry writing contest. Felicity and Barry brought their best bets to one of the camp's function rooms and gave them some last minute reminders and tips before they left them to the care of the proctors. Felicity lingered a bit near the entrance of the function room, hoping she would run into Oliver and see how he was doing, but he was nowhere in sight.

They saw each other during lunch at the mess hall. Oliver's face lit up at the sight of her, waiting in line for her turn at the dessert bar. He approached her stealthily from behind and then whispered in her ear, "How's the little mermaid?" Felicity was startled a bit but responded with the most winsome smile, and then they got to talking about how the morning went with their new teams. Felicity learned that the reason why Oliver was nowhere near the venue for the writing contests was that he had no reason to be there. Isabel had insisted that two of her girls be fielded for both categories since she believed they would do a much better job than any of Oliver's "intellectually challenged" boys.

"Seriously? She called them that?!" Felicity exclaimed, anger written all over her face. "She doesn't even know those boys! How dare she!"

"That's what I told her," Oliver said in a calmer voice that had a pacifying effect on Felicity. "I made it absolutely clear to her that that was the first and last insult she would ever hurl at my boys if she wanted our combined team intact for the rest of the week. And for the sake of peace, and because I was trying real hard not to yell at her in front of the kids, I negotiated a compromise. I agreed to send her girls to both writing categories if she agreed to send only my boys to the dance competition later on."

"And?"

"And… that was that. I won," Oliver replied confidently.

"Oliver, how could you have won if it was a compromise?" Felicity asked, some disappointment still evident in her voice.

"The writing contests didn't matter as much to me considering that, to my best knowledge, none of my boys are really gifted at it. Not that they're not capable. I'm sure they are, if they had been given a better education and better opportunities. But dance? Oh, Felicity! I can't wait for you to see them dance! Justin Bieber doesn't stand a chance!"

Felicity laughed. Oliver's plan certainly made sense, and his excitement over what his very own dance crew could accomplish was quite contagious. She loved dancing herself, having been brought up by foster parents that went to ballroom dancing and watched dance sport competitions on television as hobbies. Her foster mom and dad had been saving extra money throughout her grade school years for her to have weekly dance and voice lessons at the community center in their district. She had passed the auditions twice for the annual musicale in her school, earning her a supporting role in _Annie_ when she was in middle school and the lead role in _Grease_ when she was a senior.

"So are you going to be their dance coach?" she asked Oliver with a mischievous grin on her face. In all of their previous conversations, they had talked about the kind of music they liked, but they hadn't talked about singing or dancing and stuff like that. She wanted to find out if he liked to dance as much as she did, or if he was any good at it. Try as she might, she couldn't picture him moving to a groove.

"Maybe…" Oliver winked at her. His grin was more mischievous than the one she had plastered on her face. She slapped him hard on his right arm, but it didn't hurt him because obviously, his muscles were the best buffers for that type of impact. "Hey! Don't injure the dance coach, or you'll never get to see Starling City's best all-boys dance crew," he joked. "And you can't peek in any of our rehearsals," he added. "It has to be a surprise."

"Now who's trying to impress who?" Felicity kidded back. She touched the arm she had just hit seconds ago as she said, "Kidding aside, I can't wait to see what the boys can do, especially with you coaching them. I'm sure you'll do very well." She flashed him an encouraging smile and squeezed his arm.

Before anyone left the mess hall, the camp director called for everyone's attention over the PA system and announced the winners of the writing contests that morning. Gracey won first place in the essay writing category while another girl from Caitlin Snow's group won in the poetry writing category. Felicity stood with Gracey, a medal hanging around her neck, as the girl's photograph was taken by camp staff. As soon as the photographer finished taking pictures of the winners, Oliver made a bee line to where Felicity was because he wanted to be the first to congratulate them, but Barry Allen beat him to it. Barry shook Gracey's hand, but he hugged Felicity, and she hugged back with an enthusiastic smile on her face.

He hugged her. She hugged back. Something inside Oliver's stomach churned. He immediately recalled how she had hugged him on the platform at the docks just after the rowing race. He could still feel her arms around her neck. He could still feel them twirling around ecstatically after that unexpected victory. He wanted that right then and there, but there was someone else in her arms. Was it jealousy he felt, or just plain longing? He wondered.

On the second day, Oliver chose Timmy and Isabel picked her youngest girl for the poster-making contest. Oliver had seen Timmy sketching and doodling a few times back at the orphanage during his free time, and he thought the boy deserved a shot, especially because he was limited by his physical ailments to be really adept at sports and athletics.

Felicity and Barry also sent their best bets, although they both weren't sure about their chances. As far as they knew, none of their kids really had much of an aptitude for the visual arts. Barry wished he could represent their team because he had taken some art lessons with his foster sister Iris when they were in middle school, but the contest was strictly for the tweeners. At the end of lunch hour, the winners were announced. A smart-looking boy from Hal Jordon and Caitlin Snow's combined team won first place. His poster would be framed and hanged at the lobby of Adventure Camp's welcome center, joining the artworks of winners in previous years.

All teams were excited and charged about the sand sculpting competition on the Day Three. (Most of the tweeners and adult counselors had spent their free time doing different kinds of recreational stuff during the writing and poster making contests in the last two days where only the contestants were mostly occupied, and some of them got really bored.) Everyone woke up early, ate breakfast hurriedly, and headed to the beach in their summer outfits with their buckets, trowels, and shovels in hand. They were ready to take on the five-hour challenge that awaited them. The camp officials reiterated the rules and mechanics of the contest, and then soon, a contest official blew the whistle and the competition commenced.

Oliver and Isabel's team had argued extensively the afternoon of the previous day about what they were supposed to sculpt. The theme pre-selected by the camp director was "The Youth's Greatest Treasure." Oliver and his boys wanted that treasure to be relationships – as in family, friends, and mentors, but Isabel (not her girls) wanted it to be education. The feisty lady argued that it was much harder to sculpt people than it was to sculpt books, computers, and other school stuff, so she ended up winning the argument, much to Oliver's dismay. The team garnered points that put them only in fourth place. At least, they weren't at the very bottom, considering there were only five combined teams.

Felicity and Barry's team sculpted the dreams of today's youth for their tomorrows. Their sand art was like a three-dimensional collage of the different career paths and vocations that each tweener in their team aspired towards. Among the many icons in their sculpture were: a rocket ship for the boy who dreamed of becoming an astronaut, an armored tank for another boy who wanted to be a soldier, and some diving gear for one of the girls who hoped to become a marine biologist someday. Their team placed second, and they were proud of their achievement that morning.

From about ten feet away, Oliver saw Felicity and Barry doing a high five as their team's rank was announced. His breath hitched, though, when he saw Barry pick her up, the guy's hands on her waist. Felicity was obviously very happy. She was looking up at the blue sky, laughing her heart out as Barry lifted her and then set her down. Then, there was another hug. Oliver pressed his lips together and looked down. He watched his feet dig deeper into the sand as he wrestled with a gnawing ache in his chest. He missed her more as the days went by, and he was beginning to wonder if the "friendship thing" that he and she had agreed on was really going to work.

It had been three days, and there had been barely time for him to spend with her. In the mornings they were busy with the competitions. In the afternoons and evenings, they were busy rehearsing for the dance and band competitions and the group musical dramas. "How in the world can I get to know her better if I don't spend more time with her?" Oliver asked himself. He really missed her, and he was beginning to envy Barry Allen. The guy not only got to spend mornings, afternoons, and evenings with her; he also got to enjoy _her_. Oliver could see it in Barry's eyes, and he wondered if Felicity enjoyed the guy's company more than she did his. He had to do something, and he was determined to do something about that the very next day.

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 **A/N: Do let me know what you folks think of this story and the direction it is taking. Reviews are certainly encouraging.**


	7. Chapter 7: Interested Parties (Part 2)

**Chapter 7: Interested Parties (Part 2)**

 **A/N: I'm trying my best to finish this story even if life has been complicated and busy, so that I can continue working on "The Queens" and update that soon as well. So here's the continuation of the previous chapter. I hope those of you who love jealous Oliver will also love un-jealous Oliver. Let me know what you think.**

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Day Four had the teams vying for the top rank in the band competitions. Adventure Camp had a limited supply of musical instruments and amplifiers, so only the basics were provided for each team – a keyboard, a bass guitar, an electric guitar, a beat box, and two microphones for lead vocals. Felicity and Barry's team picked a Taylor Swift hit song, and their kids pulled it off so well that they won second place again. But Oliver and Isabel's team gave the other teams a run for their money when their kids executed an outstanding cover of a Bruno Mars hit. Johnny did really well playing the bass guitar, and one of Isabel's girls was terrific on the keyboard. Yet, the biggest surprise was Sammy. It turned out the chinky-eyed boy was not only a fast runner and a fast talker; he could sing, really sing! And his performance brought the house down.

After the winners and team rankings were announced at the end of lunch hour, Oliver finally had the chance to approach Felicity and spend some quality time with her. When people started leaving the dining facility to get ready for the afternoon rehearsals, they managed to find a table that was tidy enough in one corner of the mess hall, a corner that afforded them some privacy.

Barry needed to check in with the CCPD after he got a text message to call the captain of their precinct about a development in a murder case he had been working on before he left for camp, so that kept Felicity's partner occupied for some time. Isabel had decided that, since she wasn't getting anywhere in her pathetic pursuit of Oliver Queen, she would move on to her next best target, which was none other than Bruce Wayne. Isabel didn't mind at all when Oliver asked if their team could move rehearsal time that afternoon an hour later. Oliver and Felicity gave their kids some free time while the two of them spent time catching up.

The two _friends_ spent the first thirty minutes exchanging highs and lows in the last three days. They laughed and scorned at Isabel Rochev's eccentricities and laughed even harder at the many reasons why they now pitied Bruce Wayne. Then they talked about Sammy's many talents, Timmy's health, and Johnny's sad family background. Felicity encouraged Oliver to continue being a good role model to those boys, affirming him more than once that he had been doing a fantastic job with them. They also talked about Gracey's intelligence. Felicity shared how much she wished she could find a scholarship in the hopes of getting the girl a better education that would lead to better opportunities in the future – like what Felicity was blessed to have had. Oliver promised to see what he can do about getting her that scholarship via the educational foundation that his parents had recently established for indigent teens in the Glades. Felicity appreciated it so much that she had to wipe away a tear that fell from the corner of her eye. Oliver took her hand in his and rubbed circles on her knuckles to reassure her of his support.

They were having such a great time bonding that they hadn't noticed that they had been conversing for nearly an hour. Talking about the lives and backgrounds of the kids under their care led them to talk about their own family backgrounds. Oliver discovered more about Felicity's painful past when she opened up about her abandonment issues that helped her identify with orphans. His heart went out to her; he could not imagine why her biological parents would walk out on the most wonderful girl in the world and leave her defenseless in a public park. He felt compassion for her but anger towards her birth parents. He realized why helping those girls meant a lot to Felicity, why she had a soft spot for boys and girls without one or both parents, especially those who had so much potential for greatness. He saw the kindness of her heart and the empathy she had for them. She cared, and she would keep caring, long after summer camp was over, and he admired her so much for that. Yet, one thought stirred in Oliver's mind: "Who was going to take care of Felicity Smoak?" The answer was clear to him. He would, whether she asked him to or not.

Felicity learned some new things about Oliver that day as well. She learned that Oliver looked up to his parents because of their achievements, especially the ones that were publicly celebrated, but he did not necessarily approve of all their decisions and choices in life. He expressed how he felt very sad and disillusioned when he found out that his father had had a couple of affairs in the past that he was sure his mother had known about all along but did nothing about. Felicity felt his pain when he shared how devastating it had been for him to see how his parents had gradually fallen out of love for each other over the years. He mentioned that this might have been one of the main reasons why he had messed up his life the way he did: he couldn't come to terms with his parents' failed marriage. He opened up a little bit about his insecurities that began when he was transitioning into puberty, insecurities that resulted from his parents' marriage being on the rocks. He briefly mentioned his fear that his younger sister Thea might get into deep trouble one of these days because of how rebellious she'd become.

Felicity could tell by the way Oliver spoke about his sister that she was someone he held vey dear and precious, perhaps even more precious than his own parents. Felicity saw in his eyes genuine concern for his sister. She thought that Thea was truly blessed to have a loving and caring brother. Felicity felt bad that the tabloids had not done him justice all this time, and that the public hadn't really seen the real Oliver Queen underneath the trappings of a public persona that had to keep up appearances. She had seen firsthand that he was indeed capable of loving someone truly and deeply. She wondered if Oliver had a spot left in his heart for another woman in his life to love.

That afternoon Felicity felt special. She had sat across Oliver Queen, listening to him bare his heart in ways that gossip magazines or television interviews would never be given the chance to capture. More importantly, she cherished the trust he had given her that day, because receiving that kind of trust made her feel connected to him. It made her feel loved.

In a similar manner, Oliver felt honored. He had sat across Felicity Smoak, baring his heart in ways he had never done with anyone in his life – not with Thea, not with Laurel, and certainly not this much and not this way, even with his best friend Tommy. Here was a woman who just… listened, but cared. She didn't judge him. She didn't even interrupt his speech, even if it came hesitantly a phrase at a time at first, and then eventually with steadfast trust. Oliver could sense that the more he opened up about things he thought were too embarrassing to share, the more he earned her respect. Her unconditional acceptance of who he had been and her admiration of who he was becoming had overwhelmed him that day. Simply put, the respect she afforded him made him feel connected to her. It made him feel loved.

Day Five arrived and the dance competitions were underway. The first category was the pair dance contest. Kimberly from Felicity's group was paired up with the tallest boy from Barry's group, and they did an upbeat modern jazz dance number. Barry himself choreographed it while Felicity made sure that their costumes, hair, and make-up were appropriate and presentable. The multi-talented Sammy was paired up with a pretty brunette to represent Oliver and Isabel's group. Their spirited rendition of the Bee Gees hit song "Staying Alive" became the crowd favorite that night. The pair was not only talented, they looked so cute in Sammy's classic 70s buttoned long-sleeved shirt with large, pointed collar and bell-bottom pants and the girl's smoothly flowing skirt, off-shoulder blouse, and high-heels. However, the judges did not necessarily agree with the audience's preference. Oliver's team only placed second to the tap dancing duo from Bruce Wayne's team that danced to "Singing in the Rain." The pair from Barry and Felicity's team placed third.

During the break before the second dance contest division, Felicity approached Oliver and Sammy to congratulate them. She had to fall in line, though, because several girls were already crowding around Sammy and Oliver. Felicity had to wave at Oliver for him to notice her, and when he did, he somehow navigated through the sea of raving young female fans to reach her.

"Congratulations! Your boy pulled that one off real well," she complemented him.

"Thanks," he said, touching her elbow. "But you ain't seen nothing yet," he bragged, grinning at her with a twinkle in his eye.

"Oh, really?" It was Felicity's turn to talk big. "And what makes you think your boys can easily beat Barry's? They've been rehearsing just as hard. And you know what? Barry's a really great dancer and an exceptional dance coach."

Oliver's hand dropped from where it held on to her elbow. He didn't really like that she was bragging about her new partner and the really cool things that the guy could do. He tilted his head to the side and blinked. "Well, let's just see about that," he said after opening his eyes. He gave her a fake smile, put his hands in his pockets, and then walked away, leaving Felicity puzzled. She sensed that there was something off about her friend's response. She had only intended to poke fun, but it seemed to her that there was something he didn't like about what she had said. What exactly? She wasn't sure.

But sure enough, despite the best efforts of all the other dance groups, Oliver's boys were a smashing success. Their highly energetic street dance number won first place.

Oliver had seen seven of his boys pass the time back at the orphanage by experimenting with some street dance moves to popular, upbeat hip-hop music. He had thought they were pretty good. In fact, he wanted to suggest to Mr. Foster, the guy in-charge of the orphanage, that they audition for _America's Best Dance Crew_ junior edition, whether or not they actually make it to the show because the experience could really boost their confidence. So when Isabel had eased his boys out of the essay writing contest a few days ago, he grabbed the chance to show off what his boys can do best.

As the boys danced their hearts out, Oliver watched their every move – their jabs, arm swings, chest pops, and stomps – and he felt very proud. A couple of the boys even put in some improvised Krumping moves, and Sammy threw in some back flips and a hand stand, making the crowd rise to their feet and cheer wildly at his stunts. When the judges had finished scoring and tabulating points, his seven boys were awarded first prize. The audience cheered, and as the loud applause died down, the boys jumped off the stage and ran to Oliver, enveloping him in a tight group hug.

From afar, Felicity could only smile as her heart overflowed with joy and pride. She stood at the other end of the stage near a huge Bose speaker, her arms crossed in front of her, beaming at Oliver and his boys who were oblivious to her presence. Barry approached her and said, "Hey, I'm sorry we didn't win. But our boys did good, right?"

"Yeah, they did. It's just that Oliver's boys did so much better," she replied, her gaze still fixed on her friend and his boys.

"That… I can't deny," Barry remarked with a smirk.

Barry observed his partner gazing at the boys from the winning team with radiance in her eyes and a warm smile on her lips. After a brief silence, Barry said to her, "I can see why you like him."

"And why is that?" Felicity asked, still not looking at her partner.

"I know you, Licity. You've always been a sucker for success stories," Barry replied.

Felicity's smiled widened as she turned to look at Barry. "I guess you're right," she told him, chuckling lightly. She thought that her long-time friend had made a very good point.

Barry knew Felicity all too well. They had become very good friends since the day her foster parents took him in for a couple of months when he was in between foster homes. (Barry's mother had been murdered, and his father was falsely accused, convicted, and sent to jail for a crime he didn't commit. He had been waiting for the judge and the social workers to finalize the papers that would make Joe West his legal guardian when he landed in Felicity's home.) Even after he'd moved to Central City, she had maintained contact with him, occasionally spending holidays with his family. They'd been close friends ever since.

"Let's go get a drink?" Barry asked Felicity.

"Sure," she replied. Barry then put his arm around her shoulder and led her to the exit of the mini auditorium.

That was the exact same moment that Oliver's eyes locked on Felicity from afar. He saw Barry's arm tenderly draped across her shoulders. A few seconds before that, Oliver had broken the group hug when he remembered the very person he wanted to share that thrill of victory with. His eyes narrowed and his forehead crinkled at the sight of them moving so close together towards the exit. He looked down and grit his teeth in displeasure. When one of the boys asked him what was wrong, he just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Nothing. Let's go celebrate at the kiosk. Ice creams are on me."

The next day, the day of the group musical drama presentations, added to the growing burden of frustration Oliver carried, just because he had no idea that there was really nothing romantic going on between Felicity and Barry. His heart ached when he saw them rehearsing a few lines over lunch. It ached again when he passed by the front porch of Barry's group's cabin and saw their team practicing an upbeat dance sequence and having so much fun at it. In stark contrast, he and his boys were on their way over to Isabel's group's cabin for their dreaded rehearsal of the scenes from _The Sound of Music,_ which that impossibly stubborn woman insisted they present for the Broadway themed musical drama contest that evening, much to the dismay of Oliver's boys.

During the actual performances that night, Felicity and Barry became the darlings of the show. They acted out the roles of Danny and Sandy in _Grease_ like professionals. Oliver thought they were so comfortable with each other, looking like long-time sweethearts having the time of their lives on stage. He wasn't the only one who thought that they sang their duet so well. Their voices blended smoothly. Barry and Felicity sounded and moved perfectly together, and they enjoyed it, too. Right after they bowed as the audience applauded, just before the curtains closed completely, Oliver saw Barry hug Felicity, and Felicity kissed him on the cheek.

Oliver really felt crushed and downcast. He reminisced the moment when she had kissed him on the cheek at the end of archery practice. "Apparently," he thought, "kissing a guy on the cheek was kind of routine for her whenever she felt happy about something." He had thought that she kissed him because she was beginning to like him back. But now he shook his head, thinking that he had misinterpreted her gesture, and that he, after all, might have been too presumptuous to believe that she had feelings for him as well.

For the rest of the evening, and up until his group was called for the last performance of the night, Oliver was green with envy. In fact, he was so jealous that in the last two months, that was the very first time he craved for hard liquor (his usual cop out), which he knew was not available in a youth facility like Adventure Camp. Earlier that day, he had already lost his temper with his boys and Isabel's girls during rehearsals and then again at the backstage just before the kids were supposed to go on for _"Do-Re-Mi"_ (which, by the way, flopped because Isabel croaked on a high note and then the rest of the kids broke out laughing and could no longer sing). Oliver was the worst Captain von Trapp ever, playing his role and singing his _Edelweiss_ solo with only one expression on his face the entire time – irritated. Later, he had also yelled at Timmy for missing his cue for the music in the final scene; the poor kid cried and was so upset he ended up having an asthma attack.

That was what it took for Oliver to come to his senses and realize he'd been acting like a pathetic, selfish, childish jerk. He nervously gave Timmy a puff or two of his medicine. As soon as he was sure that the boy's condition was stable, he stormed out the backstage exit and let out steam where no one else would see him fuming mad and cursing himself. He was terribly upset and guilty about the way he behaved that he didn't notice the tears streaming down his cheeks. After a good ten minutes, his anger began to fade and he gradually calmed down as he wrestled with the issue that confronted him.

Once again he reprimanded himself, "You have no right to be jealous! You gave your word that you'll be her friend. Just friends." He thought of Felicity and resolved that he would respect whatever her decisions would be regarding their relationship. He thought of Felicity and remembered how she had helped him calm down when he got angry with the wrestling referee last week. He knew she wouldn't want him acting this way. He was glad she wasn't in the backstage to witness him in yet another fit of anger. But then again, he wished she were there, because her presence would have certainly helped prevent his meltdown. If she were only with him outside the backstage, he knew what she'd be telling him to do: apologize.

And apologize he did. Before the kids went back to their respective cabins, he gathered them and asked for forgiveness… even from Isabel, who was more than amused to have witnessed firsthand how Oliver Queen groveled. He didn't care what that woman thought. All he cared about was righting the wrong, setting a good example of humility to the kids, and making Felicity proud… had she been there to see it herself. That night Oliver also resolved in himself that he wasn't going back to who he was before. Ever. He hated it, and he hated the disappointed look on the faces of those boys and girls whom he had failed.

That night, Oliver couldn't sleep. Yes, he had recovered somewhat from the misery of guilt and shame, but he missed Felicity. A lot. He closed his eyes and tried hard to recall how it felt like to have her hands in his, her fingers interlaced with his. He missed gazing at her lustrous blue eyes whenever she smiled. He missed her smarts, too. He missed her laughter… and the way her pink lips moved whenever she cracked a corny joke… or the way her blonde tresses danced with the sea breeze, like soft lace letting the golden glow of sunlight through. The memories seemed to be slipping away, just as she seemed to be slipping away from him into Barry Allen's arms. The prospect of losing her to him sent a wave of panic through his heart.

But who can blame her? Barry Allen was a pretty amazing, talented, brilliant, and cool guy. More importantly, he treated her right, and Oliver had seen that in the past few days. If he were truly honest, he'd have to admit that he'd seen it ever since week one. If Oliver was going to give way for Felicity to be happy, he decided he'd be willing to give way to none other than Barry. The possibility of that happening sure did hurt, even if at that point, it had been just that – a possibility. But Oliver committed to be a true friend to her, and that meant he'd look out for her and make sure she'd get only the best and the right things. And if that meant being with Barry, then he was willing to concede.

Oliver Queen, willing to concede to whatever was best for a woman he wanted? This line of thinking and feeling was so _**not**_ Oliver, and he knew it. His old self would never have allowed another guy to get the girl he wanted because whatever Oliver wants, Oliver gets… regardless. He lay in his bunk bed musing, and he couldn't believe how much he'd changed just in the last couple of months. He realized that it has been in giving of himself that he found meaning and purpose in life, and he wasn't about to give all that up now, even if it hurt like hell to even think that he may never end up with Felicity Smoak.

As he pondered the situation, it became clear to him that he did not just _want Felicity_ anymore. He had gotten past that. Now, he wanted _what's best for her_. He realized that it's the same thing he's wanted for Thea, for his parents, for really good friends like Tommy and Laurel, and for the boys under his care – in other words, for every single person in his life he truly cared about. He had only known Felicity for a little less than three weeks; nevertheless, to his own astonishment, he already desired for this very special woman to have every good thing that life could offer, and more.

That's when it dawned on him – the difference between "falling in love" and choosing to love. Falling in love is often the theme of those cheesy and fluffy romance novels, movies, and love songs that reflected popular culture, and Oliver recalled being "in love" at least once in his life – with Laurel Lance. But actually loving someone is different. The former is primarily based on feelings and attraction, and is often self-centered in motive. The latter is based on sober, careful thought that guides both desire and decision, and is always other-centered. The thought of losing Felicity to Barry (or to someone else that would really care about her, for that matter) still hurt, but something else made Oliver smile: he realized that he was learning how to love. He was learning what it means to truly love a woman… particularly, an incredible woman named Felicity Smoak.

Oliver smiled, his heart barely able to contain the joy that filled it to the brim. The realization that he had begun to love this amazing woman with pure, sincere intentions comforted him and slowly lulled him to sleep. It wasn't a love based merely on fleeting feelings. It was a deep desire for her highest good. Yes, he was still, no doubt, very much attracted to her, but this love that was beginning to build up in his heart? It went way beyond physical attraction. It came from his soul. So, he resolved that Barry or no Barry, everything would be all right, because he knew where he stood. He stood on _her_ side – the side that constrained him to do what was best for Felicity even if they did not end up together. And there was no other place he'd rather be.

The next morning, all campers and chaperons boarded two Adventure Camp buses headed for Coast City for the tour and the shopping spree that Ray Palmer had promised everyone a few days ago. The boys, girls, and adults were all excited, making their way to the buses with zest.

Oliver's group was the first one to arrive at the parking lot after breakfast and was immediately allowed to board Bus No. 1. He made sure that all of his ten boys were seated in pairs and had everything they needed for the trip. Caitlin Snow's group arrived a few minutes later. She greeted Oliver and then directed her girls to take the seats in the rear section of the bus. Hal Jordon's group came next, and they occupied the middle section of the bus.

Oliver sat on one of the seats up front, just behind the driver's seat, waiting for the rest of their bus mates to arrive. He greeted Hal with a high five, and his pilot friend informed him that aside from his group, Bus No. 1 had been assigned to the groups from Starling City and Central City. That meant they were waiting for Barry's and Felicity's groups to board the bus. The thought of being in the same bus as Barry and Felicity made him a bit uneasy at first, especially when he looked out the window and saw the pair from afar, looking like they were enjoying each other's company as they approached the bus. Oliver looked away and closed his eyes. He reminded himself of last night's realizations and resolutions, and in less than a minute, he was able to relax.

Barry and his boys got on the bus, heading straight towards the back. They were a rowdy bunch, and it took a while for him to get them all settled. When they did, he greeted Oliver, "Morning!" Oliver greeted back with a small yet genuine smile on his face.

Oliver saw Felicity standing just outside the door of the bus, letting her girls board the bus one at a time. He could hear her loud voice as she gave instructions to the girls to take the remaining seats on the left side of the bus. Oliver saw her combing her fingers through her blonde hair, looking irritated, and then she started yelling, "Bekah! Amy! Hurry up! Bus won't wait forever!" In a matter of seconds, the skinny girl and her chubby companion who had been lagging behind hopped in, catching their breath as they slumped into their seats.

Felicity was right behind them, looking as pretty as always even if she appeared a bit irked by the tardiness of two of her girls. That day she let her hair down again, but straightened instead of curled. She must have worn contacts, and Oliver thought she looked even more beautiful without her dark-rimmed spectacles. Her pretty face and attractive figure were accented by her bright green sleeveless shirt, tight-fitting Guess jeans, and Keds sneakers.

When Felicity saw him, the agitation on her face disappeared and was replaced by the most charming smile, as she said to him, "Good morning, Oliver! This seat taken?" She was referring to the empty seat beside Oliver directly behind the driver.

"Huh?... Uhm… No, it isn't," was all he could say. Oliver wasn't really prepared for that. He was expecting her to go all the way to the back of the bus to sit with Barry.

Felicity removed the pink, floral-printed knapsack that had been slung over her right shoulder and sat down beside him. Judging by the look on Oliver's face, she immediately sensed that he must be feeling awkward about something. She had been noticing something different in his behavior in the past couple of days. Even though he'd greet back whenever their paths crossed, he seemed distant and aloof. She had caught him stealing glances at her from afar, but there was this sad look on his face. So, she tried to lighten the atmosphere and asked, "Something wrong? I hope I didn't steal this seat from someone else, did I?"

"Oh… no," Oliver replied timidly. "I… just… I thought you were going to sit back there." He pointed his chin towards the rear of the bus.

"Oh? What made you think that?" she asked again. "I thought you'd be happy to sit with me on the way to Coast City and back, so we could talk about the other night. I never did get to congratulate you, you know. Your boys did a fantastic job with that dance number."

Oliver smiled upon hearing that. Of course he was happy that she chose to sit with him. He was thrilled. He'd never been more thrilled to ride a bus in his life than he had been that morning. At the back of his mind, he also wanted to find out more about her and Barry Allen, so he mustered some courage and answered, "Of course I'm glad you took this seat. It's always good to spend time with you." He smiled. She smiled back. "It's just that I expected you to sit with Barry. You two seem to have gotten along real well these past days," he added. Oliver kept his fingers crossed as he spoke that last sentence. He looked straight into her eyes as he waited for a response.

"Barry?" She chuckled. "I've had too much of Barry Allen to last me a lifetime. We've known each other since we were kids coz he lived with us for a while when he was waiting for a more permanent foster home. We connected easily, you know, both of us being parent-less. And of course, we both love books, movies, science, computers, gadgets, and a whole lot of other stuff. I already know everything there is to know about him."

She gasped and stopped in the middle of her rambling when she realized the implications of what she had just said, and then she continued. "By _everything_ , I didn't mean _everything_ as in _everything._ No, of course not. I meant that he and I go way, way back, so we know a lot about each other, not necessarily very personal or physical stuff. You know?"

Oliver laughed. He laughed because he thought her babbling was utterly hilarious and adorable. He laughed because he felt foolish to have brooded over assumptions that she had something going on with Barry. He laughed because he felt relieved that the two of them were just very good friends. He laughed because he was happy to have cleared the air.

He gave her a pat on the knee and replied, "I get it. Don't worry." He then looked away and stared out the window for a while, shaking his head at the thought that his pent-up jealousy over the past few days, last night's outburst, and the apprehensions that kept him awake until past midnight had all been a waste of energy. He had assumed wrongly and had totally misinterpreted Barry's and Felicity's behavior towards each other. Never in his life had Oliver been glad about making a mistake.

The bus soon left for Coast City, and for the next forty-five minutes, Oliver and Felicity enjoyed another quiet, relaxing conversation.


	8. Chapter 8: Interested Parties (Part 3)

**Chapter 8: Interested Parties (Part 3)**

 **A/N: So we're winding down to the last few chapters of this story. In this chapter, the last section is written in Felicity's POV this time (finally! after writing from Oliver's POV for two and a half chapters), so I hope you will like the shift in perspective and the new element of conflict brought about by another interested party. Read on, and do leave even just a short review to let me know what you think. Thank you so much to those who do.**

* * *

The trip to Coast City was the best 45-minute bus ride Oliver had ever had in his life. If he could always sit and talk with Felicity every time he needed to be at some place, he was sure he wouldn't hesitate exchanging the comfortable limo service provided by his personal driver and bodyguard John Diggle, or the heart-pumping motorcycle rides on his Ducati, for bumpy rides on any bus of her choice. They simply enjoyed each other.

Felicity educated Oliver on the world of DC and Marvel comics, which he found absolutely amusing and entertaining. In animated fashion, she introduced him to some of her most favorite characters and superheroes, blushing at one point when she admitted fondly that the Green Arrow had always been her most favorite one – to which Oliver responded with a wide grin on his face. She told him how she had bought a huge poster of Robin Hood, had it framed, and had hung it on the wall of the living room in her apartment because that was the closest to her favorite archer that she could find in any of the stores in Starling City. Oliver made a mental note of that, thinking that a Green Arrow poster would be number one on the list of possible gifts he would give her on her birthday or other special occasion. He did offer to continue giving her archery lessons in the open space of the Queen estate, if she wanted it, to which her reply was, "Really? I sometimes wonder what it's like to be Katniss. Okay, I'll think about it."

That got them into talking about her favorite books and movies, and Felicity did a great job of giving him gists of what _The Hunger Games_ series and _The Lord of the Rings_ trilogy were all about. She couldn't believe he hadn't read a single book that wasn't on the "required" reading list in high school and college, just because – as he himself said – he wasn't really the bookworm type. And so, she took it upon herself to recount her favorite scenes in those stories and some of the dialogues between characters. She was practically raving about the crush that she had on the actor that played Legolas in the film adaptation of _The Lord of the Rings._ When he asked her what the guy looked like, she took out her tablet and showed him pictures of the champion of the elves, his eyebrows shot up in disbelief that she could have a crush on a slender guy with long, silky smooth, white hair that almost reached to his thigh. (Oliver thought, however, that if… just if… hearing her say "yes" to being his girlfriend comes down to him growing his hair that long and dyeing it white, he would do it, if she were the one asking. The thought made him chuckle mildly, but Felicity was too caught up in storytelling to notice.) She became so enthusiastic about lending him her books as soon as they got back to Starling, and she successfully persuaded him to read them all before Christmas.

Oliver took the opportunity to tell her his own tales. He began by telling her how that, if he had known all about the hobbits, the elves, and the dwarfs before, he would have convinced his parents to visit the places where the three movies were shot when they toured New Zealand about seven years ago. He then took her on a world tour with his stories of his family's vacations in Europe, the Caribbean, and South America and his own adventures in several countries in Asia. He told her how he had learned how to speak a bit of Cantonese when he was sixteen while spending an entire summer in Hongkong with his father, who had set up a subsidiary of Queen Consolidated in the Far East.

When Felicity asked him if he knew any other language aside from English and Cantonese, he recounted how his father had "banished" him to Russia after his second university had kicked him out for gross, inappropriate behavior and he'd been unable to finish his junior year. He sampled some Russian expressions to her, which she thought sounded very sophisticated and clever. When she asked him what one of those expressions meant in English, she couldn't fight the warmth that filled her body and the blood rushing to her face. It had taken Oliver a lot of self-control to keep from taking her hand at that moment, but he had looked deeply into her glistening blue eyes with his glistening blue eyes and translated, "I've never met a woman as beautiful as you."

Felicity was "saved by the bus." It came to a full stop as they reached the town square where their tour of Coast City was supposed to start. She looked down after gazing at him for who knows how long, cleared her throat, and said shyly, "I guess this is our first stop. I'd better see to my girls." She stood up, tapped his shoulder, and walked away. Oliver sat there, watching her give instructions to her tweeners, thinking how fantastic this woman was. He silently wished for the day to fast-forward or for them to just skip the city tour and the shopping spree so that he could have another wonderful conversation with his friend on the way back to camp.

* * *

The groups from Bus No. 1 toured the city together, led by the most boring tour guide ever. Mr. Xenakis was an immigrant from Greece whose family had moved to America and settled in Coast City at the turn of the 20th century and had helped pioneer some of the earliest business establishments there. The tweeners and their chaperons could tell how the old man must have recited the same scripts about the city's landmarks, important persons, and significant events in the same monotonous manner the entire morning like he was reciting them for the ten thousandth time. The chaperons constantly had to remind their kids to stop complaining and to try harder at paying attention and still being respectful. They were all relieved when finally lunch hour came and the bus brought them to the restaurant that Palmer Tech had reserved entirely for the Adventure Camp contingent.

Oliver and Felicity didn't mind the boring tour from boring Mr. Xenakis. That was because they had each other to make the morning interesting. Felicity's tablet and power bank were on hand. As the old man rehearsed his memorized public speeches before their disgruntled group of jaded tourists, she would Google the landmark or famous person or historical event that he was talking about and share with Oliver the more interesting bits of information she'd find. No matter how hard they tried talking in hushed voices, their clandestine cyber-tour had been interrupted twice by Mr. Xenakis who sternly reprimanded them. After the second instance, they both decided to turn off the tablet and put it away; they'd rather endure the old man and be good role models to their kids.

* * *

At the restaurant, the tweeners got so excited when the camp director announced that lunch was going to be served buffet style and they could go for seconds, thirds, and so on. The boys and girls couldn't believe they could eat as much as they wanted and someone else would be paying for everything. Oliver and Felicity carefully explained to their boys and girls that they should just get what they could finish because anyway they could go back for more. They reminded them not to leave leftovers on their plates.

The restaurant only had round tables for eight persons each, so the group aboard Bus No. 1 had to split up into seven separate tables. Much as Oliver and Felicity wanted to sit together, they couldn't. Although they were enjoying each other's company, they were well aware of their responsibilities as chaperons and counselors. So they contented themselves with choosing tables that were right beside each other's.

While everyone was enjoying dessert, Adventure Camp staff gave Felicity's and Barry's groups the Smart wristwatches from Palmer Tech, which were promised as rewards to the team that won the musical drama contest the night before. Felicity was too preoccupied with helping one of her girls put on her wristwatch to notice Ray Palmer approaching and standing behind her.

"Felicity Smoak?"

Felicity turned around upon hearing her name. The man was so tall, and standing so close to her, all she saw at first was his silver-gray necktie right in front of her. When she looked up and realized who it was that called her, she gasped in panic.

"Mr. Palmer! Good morning… or is it good afternoon? Uhm… I guess I'll just settle for good morning then. To what do I owe the pleasure?" she rambled, hands motioning frantically in between her chest and Ray Palmer's.

"Oh, Ms. Smoak, the pleasure is all mine," Ray replied with a wide grin on his face. "Camp staff gave me your name and told me where I could find you. Ray Palmer." The gorgeous, dark-haired billionaire businessman extended his hand, and Felicity shook it cheerfully.

"Mr. Palmer, sir, you have no idea how glad I am to meet you, sir. I have nothing but admiration for what your company is doing to make the latest communications technology more accessible to more people," Felicity said to him.

"Thank you. I'm glad you think so," Ray responded. "I, on the other hand, have nothing but admiration for the amazing talents of an especially charming woman such as you." He watched intently as her face turned scarlet at his compliment, and then he continued, "Your performance last night at the camp was quite impressive. You have such a beautiful voice. As one of the judges of the musical drama contest, I couldn't resist giving your group a perfect score because of you."

"Well, thank you for saying so, Mr. Palmer, but Barry and our boys and girls worked really hard too," Felicity acknowledged confidently.

"Please… call me Ray."

Felicity nodded once and replied, "All right. But you'll have to call me Felicity then, so that we're even." She smiled at him.

"Okay, Felicity. I see they've already given your wristwatches. I hope your girls like them. I… I went looking for you to personally give you yours." Ray Palmer pulled out a thin but long leather box from the pocket of his expensive suit and gave it to her. "I hope you like it," he said.

Felicity took the leather box that said "special edition Palmer Tech Smart watch" and opened it. When she saw the pink Smart wristwatch that had her first name etched on the strap, her jaw dropped and her eyes widened so much that she feared they were about to pop out. "Like it? I love it!" she exclaimed. "Thank you so much, Mr. Palmer… I mean, Ray. This is… this is wonderful!"

Just a few feet away, Oliver had been listening in on the conversation between his friend and his former friend. (Ray didn't notice him because he had his back turned against them.) Since Ray introduced himself to Felicity, he already knew where he was going with his sweet talk and charismatic demeanor. Ray liked her and wanted to get to first base as soon as possible. Oliver thought it wouldn't be a surprise if Ray asked her out before lunch hour was over. He knew the tools and tricks of a billionaire bachelor's trade all too well.

But he also knew that despite their differences, Ray Palmer was a decent gentleman with a good heart. Sure, he could be condescending and egotistical at times without even the slightest clue he was annoying or irritating other people in this way, but his intentions were always sincere. Back in their college days, he had personally witnessed how Ray had treated Anna with respect and utmost care; in fact, Ray treated Anna better than he ever could if she had chosen him. Back then, he was only interested in getting Anna into his bed. Looking back, he was glad Anna had chosen Ray because Ray had treated her like a princess.

So even as Oliver remained seated at their table, wrestling with the lure of jealousy and the threat of losing Felicity – this time to Ray, who was ten times more likely to give her a better future with his character and his bank account than Barry ever could – he harnessed every bit of self-control in his being to keep himself from rudely interrupting their conversation. He wasn't going to ruin things for Felicity because Ray Palmer might be good for her in the same manner Barry might have been. Because she was his friend and because he cared about her. Of course, he would be there to protect her as necessary, but he wasn't going to be a possessive, jealous fool because the changed Oliver was truly learning to love her. Even when he overheard Ray asking Felicity if they could talk about something important over coffee after the shopping spree that afternoon (to which she happily agreed), Oliver stood his ground and refused to give in to ill feelings.

In his peripheral vision, Oliver saw Felicity approaching him, saying, "Hey, Oliver, listen. I… I need to tell you something." She squeezed his shoulder, and he stood up to face her. "Ray… Mr. Palmer asked for an appointment later today to talk business, so I'm afraid I won't be joining the rest of the group on the bus back to camp. He offered to have his chauffeur drive me back in the company car, and the camp director agreed… but only if another adult chaperon would agree to watch my girls for me until I get back. So… would you? Please?" Felicity asked. Actually, she pleaded with puppy dog eyes.

Oliver's chest tightened. "She could have asked Barry or Caitlin to do it, but it has to be me. If she only knew how hard this is for me," he thought to himself. With a bit of reluctance that he risked her reading on his face, he said, "Of course. Go ahead. I'll take care of everything."

"Great! Thank you so much!" Felicity replied with glee. "I'll see you later, Oliver… and… thanks again," she said, smiling. And then, to Oliver's surprise, she planted a light, chaste kiss on his cheek before she walked away to go after Ray Palmer and tell him that their business date was on.

Oliver closed his eyes to savor that moment. Her lips had been soft and warm, and his skin had burned when they made contact with his face. When he opened his eyes, she was several feet away, but he could still feel the warm puff of her breath on his cheek when she had pulled away. Yes, they'd agreed to just be friends, but that kiss meant the world to him. It reassured him that she appreciated his friendship, that she trusted him to respect her choices, and that what they shared was pure and special. Whatever happens after today, he was going to reciprocate that trust and protect their friendship at all cost, even if it he had to be the one paying it.

* * *

Oliver didn't see much of Felicity that afternoon in the mall. They ran into each other once at the food court when both their groups stopped for a snack. They had already finished picking out and paying for clothes but still had to shop for shoes and accessories. Palmer Tech had given all the chaperons fixed budgets to buy outfits for themselves and for their tweeners for the banquet on the last night of camp. Briefly they shared how they fared, each one shopping for ten tweeners, which Oliver and Felicity both agreed was a fantastic feat for single persons like them who both grew up in very small families.

Oliver had helped his boys pick out dress shirts and pants, jackets, and leather shoes to wear for the special event. He had to swallow his pride when he settled for a suit that was within the budget, an outfit that was less expensive than the ones he usually wore to Queen family galas and QC charities and fund-raisers. But in the changing room, when he and his boys were trying on their outfits, they said he looked very handsome in the charcoal black suit and navy blue tie with tiny red dots. They even teased him that Ms. Felicity would surely love to see him in that outfit.

Felicity, on the other hand, had helped her girls try on colorful and fashionable dresses and fancy shoes to match. She had picked for herself a nice fitted, red, sleeveless dress with a gold zipper running across the back and towards the front where her left thigh would be exposed midway by a slit. It had been a very tiring afternoon, but everyone returned to the bus, hands gripping multiple shopping bags, and happy. Oliver and Felicity felt very happy for their boys and girls because this was the first time (and perhaps, the only one) that anyone had taken them on a shopping spree. The smiles on their faces were priceless.

To Oliver, however, the smile on Felicity's pretty face was beyond priceless. He watched her see to the needs of her girls as they got settled into their seats. She left them clear and careful instruction about how she expected them to behave during the trip home and after, as they wait for her return. She explained to them that Oliver would be in charge of them, and that they shouldn't do anything that would push him to his limits because they won't like him at all when he's angry. Oliver just chortled at that; he knew she was right.

Before Felicity stepped out of the bus, she thanked him again for the big favor she'd asked of him. And when he extended his arm for a handshake, she took his hand and pulled him in for a hug. "Take care of them, okay?" she whispered in his ear.

"I will," Oliver answered. "Be safe, and… don't stay out here too long. We might miss you too much," he said to her as she pulled back. He would have held her in his arms longer if she hadn't.

* * *

Felicity did feel his reluctance to let her go. She felt it in his arms as they hugged. She saw it in his eyes, the blue ones that lacked their usual luster and vigor whenever they were together, kind of like when she had been spending a lot of time with Barry over the past week. She had missed him, too, and she had enjoyed their talk in the bus en route to Coast City, so much so that as she walked back to the mall entrance, she had second-guessed herself and would have turned back, boarded the bus, and called off the business date with Ray. She took a deep breath and then turned around, but the bus had already left. She bit her lip and asked herself if she had made the right decision – if a business date with Ray Palmer was worth giving up another enjoyable, friendly conversation with Oliver Queen.

Felicity had her emotions under control. She figured that Oliver would still be there when she got back, as any good friend would be, and that whatever Ray Palmer had to say was at least worth hearing. By the time the waitress seated her at a table-for-two in the coffee shop where Ray said he was going to meet her at 5:00, she was already missing Oliver. She pulled out her phone from her purse and thought about texting him, but she changed her mind.

She had originally planned on asking him on the bus ride back whether or not he had been to Israel, because her foster parents were Jewish and the three of them had it on their bucket list to travel to the Holy Land at least once in their lifetime. Her mind wandered about while waiting for Palmer Tech's CEO, imagining what it would be like for them to be traveling and touring Israel, and perhaps even some of the famous spots in Jordan and Egypt… with Oliver. She wondered whether or not her mom and dad would like Oliver at all, and after picturing possible scenarios in her head, she decided that, knowing her parents, they would certainly like this version of Oliver Queen that she had met and wouldn't judge him for his past.

In the midst of her reflections, she realized that Oliver had indeed begun to mean something more to her than just mere acquaintance, a lot like Barry meant a lot to her. But with Oliver, it was… different. She found him attractive, no doubt about that. "Who didn't?" she thought. But there was something more. In the last two weeks he was in her last thoughts before closing her eyes to sleep, as well as in her first thoughts upon waking up. She enjoyed working with him, and she really had fun with him as company. In fact, she missed him the entire week that his team was merged with Isabel's. Barry himself could see right through her and commented that she looked at him differently, and he was right: she was indeed a fan of persons who stumble miserably but rise again with determination to become better individuals. And one such person was Oliver Queen. "His father would be proud," she thought as a genuine smile of fondness formed on her face.

Felicity knew in her heart that he had stirred up something in her, in her soul. The way he treated her made her feel special and safe. The way he'd changed dramatically and come a long, long way in just two months was not just admirable; it made her want to be his personal cheerleader, spurring him on to become a better man. The way he stepped back like a true gentleman when she refused to date him made her think highly of him even more, because she knew it must have taken him every ounce of temperance to offer her just friendship for the time being.

But Felicity hadn't considered it "just a friendship." It was… It was more like…. She was at a loss for words to describe what they had, yet she treasured it with all her heart. Maybe she was still in denial. Maybe she was just too scared to admit it. Maybe it made her want to run back to her foster parents' home and hide. That was what the old Felicity would do, but something inside her prodded her not to. This time around, she wanted to be a part of _this_ man's life. She wanted to be there for him, to see how he'd turn out, to make sure that he gets much-needed encouragement to keep moving forward. She had gotten way past being physically attracted to Oliver; she now deeply desired what was best for him.

That was when it dawned on her that she was starting to care, really care about Oliver. If she were honest enough, she'd have to admit that she was beginning to love him. Despite his past, and in spite of what a future with Starling City's prodigal son would be like, she felt a tug in her heart to go for it. Because whatever happens after she takes a leap of faith and commits to a more serious relationship with him, it would have been worth it to have loved someone truly and to have grown – from a fearful girl who had mastered self-preservation skills over the years, into a stronger woman who has learned to trust and give of herself to the one she loved. Felicity realized that she was ready to love him, and as she stared at his number on the screen of her phone, she took a deep breath and said a silent prayer.

"Please," she spoke softly with her eyes closed, "please let Oliver ask me again." Felicity realized that she was ready to love him, but she decided that she needed him to make his move again. That was the final test she required for her to be sure that they were meant to be.

"Who's Oliver?" a man's baritone voice asked, startling her from her silent rumination.

Felicity looked up and saw Ray Palmer staring down at her with a confused look on his face.

"Mr. Palmer! Sorry. Ray. How long have you been standing there?" she asked.

"Not too long, I suppose. May I?" Ray motioned to the chair in front of her, and she nodded to acknowledge his request to be seated. "Who is Oliver?" Ray asked again.

"A friend. We met in camp," she replied.

"You mean Oliver Queen?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"We were friends, too. Met each other in business school. We were even roommates for a time. I was surprised to see him in camp, even more surprised to learn from the staff that he was one of the chaperons. Didn't expect him to be doing something like that," Ray answered.

"You and Oliver were friends? And why would it be so far-fetched for him to become a role model for teenage boys?" Felicity asked, a bit provoked by the negative undercurrents of Ray's comment on Oliver.

Ray picked up on that and responded calmly. "Oh, please don't get me wrong. I didn't mean to speak ill of your friend… who was once my friend." He paused. There was a timid smile on his face as he tried to figure out how to proceed without offender her any further. "And yes, we used to be friends, until he introduced me to a girl he was dating named Anna, who became more interested in me, and when she chose me, my relationship with Oliver went south. We never did talk about it until we parted ways," Ray explained.

"And…?" Felicity was curious about his answer to her second question.

"And as for him being a role model for teenage boys? Well, I haven't seen him in a very long time, so my last recollection of Oliver Queen is still his billionaire-playboy image, which is hardly an image worth imitating. That's where I was coming from. I'm sorry if I offended you. I didn't mean to," Ray explained further.

"Fair enough," Felicity responded. "But you know, it might be a good idea to reconnect with your old friend somehow. You might be pleasantly surprised at how much he's changed." She paused to look him straight in the eye, making sure she got the message across. When Ray didn't say anything, she continued, "But then again, I believe that it's not our friendships with Oliver Queen that you came here to talk to me about, is it?"

"No, it's not," Ray grinned as he shook his head. "I wanted to offer you a job at Palmer Tech."

"A job?" Felicity asked, mildly shocked at Ray's candid revelation of intent.

"Yes, I want you to work for me… for my company, I mean. When I took interest in you last night, I personally did a background check on you, and wow… Your track record is quite impressive. If you agree to move to Coast City and work at Palmer Tech, I assure you, you won't get stuck in the IT department for five years without at least the possibility of a promotion. I want you to be the head of cyber security for the company and all its branches and subsidiaries in the country. Your salary would be five times larger than your current one, and my company is prepared to buy you a house in the suburbs and your own car."

Felicity's mouth was agape in even greater shock. She loved living in Starling City, but how on earth could anyone pass this unbelievably lucrative, once-in-a-lifetime career shift? Several thoughts ran in and out of her hyperactive brain. She had been starting to feel a bit bored and frustrated with her job at QC. She was the only woman in her department who wasn't a secretary or receptionist, and her chauvinistic supervisor hadn't even hinted at a promotion ever since Robert Queen recruited her to his company upon graduation from MIT, despite the fact that she had done wonders for the company's systems over the past five years and had saved the supervisor from humiliation multiple times already (at times, not even giving her the credit due her). Bragging aside, she knew that she was better than anyone in the entire department, but because she had been loyal to the great man who had hired her, she never even gave a single thought about leaving the company… until today. With the economic benefits that such a change in career path would give her, she could give her foster parents a very good retirement in gratitude for the wonderful life they had given her. She could even help some of the girls at the orphanage by sponsoring their education. She could think of a hundred and one reasons why she should grab Ray Palmer's offer, but she could think of only one why she should stay in QC and Starling City: Oliver Queen.

"Ray, I… I'm flattered by your generous offer. Really, I am," Felicity finally responded after a couple of minutes of silence. "No one has ever given me this much professional importance before, and I must admit, this is a very tempting offer…"

"But…" Ray sensed her hesitation.

"But I'll need some time to think about it."

"How much time do you need? The position I'm offering you is vacant right now. But the other members of the Board are also looking at other prospects. It's just that you are my personal bet. I can't delay the selection process for very long, if you know what I mean."

"I'll have an answer for you on the night of the banquet. Is that all right?"

"Perfect."

Felicity Smoak was deep in thought as Ray Palmer's chauffeur drove her back to the camp site. Before her talk with Ray, she already had peace about how she was going to handle her love life. After her talk with Ray, she became confused and anxious, because whatever she decided about her professional life would certainly affect the decision she had just made about her love life. There was only one friend she could think of with whom she was willing to share her dilemma, and she couldn't wait to get back to camp and talk with him.

"But how would he take this? How do I even begin to tell him?" She asked some tough questions that even her brilliant mind had no answers to offer.

* * *

 **A/N: So what do you think she should do? I didn't really like Ray Palmer in Season 3 because he got in the way of Olicity. But there were some aspects of his character that I did like. He really did love Felicity because he was willing to let her go when he realized that she loved Oliver, not him. He was gentle and understanding, even if he was also quite egotistical. So even if I had to use his character to enhance the conflict in this story, I was careful not to make him look so bad.**


	9. Chapter 9: Conversations

**Chapter 9: Conversations**

 **A/N: This is the second to the last chapter for this story, so it's almost time to say goodbye. I would appreciate to be reading reviews and PMs anytime. Oliver's "family" is in this chapter, providing rather engaging conversations, and so the title says. I hope you like it.**

* * *

As soon as Felicity and her girls entered the mess hall for breakfast, she scanned the area for any sign of Oliver. She had wanted to speak with him when she got back from her meeting with Ray Palmer in Coast City the night before, but by the time she arrived, almost everyone had left the dining area and she had no choice but to eat a late dinner alone. She had decided against calling on him at his cabin up the hill, thinking that it might be a little inappropriate, so she had decided to just wait to have that important conversation after breakfast the next day.

When her eyes locked on to her target, she smiled. Oliver was seated with his boys at the end of a long table near the wall to the right side of the hall, next to the drinking fountain. As always, he looked dashing and handsome in his navy blue V-neck cotton shirt and black jeans. He looked happy, listening to the stories his boys told and laughing with them in between mouthfuls of cornflakes and milk. She pined for him, wishing the meal would soon be over so she could sit with him and talk. She wanted to pour out her heart to him, but really, she had no idea how to begin. She endured the next twenty minutes or so in the company of toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon – a few minutes that seemed like hours – glancing over at Oliver's table every now and then to check if he was done eating. As soon as she was done, and most of her girls were too, she swished around a sip of water in her mouth, wiped her lips clean, and stood up.

"Hey," Felicity said as she walked over to Oliver's table and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I was wondering if you and I could talk?" She removed her hand from his shoulder and placed it in the pocket of her purple, sleeveless summer dress. "There's something… something-"

"Something that's bothering you?" Oliver finished the sentence for her. He could sense that something was making her anxious. He could see it in her eyes and in the way she chewed on the inside of her cheek.

"Something like that," she replied. "Unless, of course, you're busy. Are you? I don't want to steal you away from the boys if they need you," she said bashfully.

"It's okay, Ms. Felicity. We're good," Johnny interrupted. "Go ahead and steal him away. I'm sure he'd be more than glad to be stolen and never returned… if the thief is as pretty as you."

Oliver glared at the boy as the other boys giggled. Johnny did apologize… after rolling his eyes at his big brother.

As soon as Oliver had recovered from embarrassment and irritation, he stood up, turned to Felicity, and responded, "Sure. Camp staff said last night that there's nothing scheduled for today. We could all just enjoy the camp's facilities. What did you want to talk about?"

"Oh, it's about me. I… Uhm… You know what? I'd rather talk about it somewhere else where it's quiet," Felicity answered.

"It's that important, huh?" Oliver responded. He leaned forward and touched her arm. "Okay. The boardwalk?"

"Yeah. Boardwalk's fine," Felicity answered with a smile.

Oliver told his boys to go back to the cabin and stay there until he got back and warned them about the consequences of making trouble. Felicity did the same with her girls. He and Felicity were about to walk out of the mess hall to head for the boardwalk when the Adventure Camp receptionist hurriedly approached them near the doorway.

"Mr. Queen, wait!" the lanky young man with plastic-rimmed spectacles exclaimed, a bit breathless after having run from the welcome center to the mess hall in under a minute. "You have visitors… a Ms. Lance and a Mr. Merlyn, and… and a young lady who said she… she's your sister. They're waiting for you… at the lounge of the welcome center."

"Oh. Did they say why they came? Is there an emergency?" Oliver asked.

"I don't think so, sir," the receptionist answered. "They didn't seem worried, tense, or anything like that."

Oliver thanked the young man and told him that he'll be right over in a couple of minutes.

"Guess our talk will have to wait then," Felicity said to him. Her head hung low, and a tinge of disappointment was evident in her voice. She'd been waiting patiently for this, but it seemed to her that the second postponement of their talk meant that it wasn't the right time yet.

"I'm so sorry. I hope you don't mind?" Oliver replied. He studied her facial expression carefully, trying to see how she was taking this unexpected interruption. "We will have that talk later today, though. Promise. I can see how much it means to you." He reached out and touched her arm gently.

Felicity simply smiled and said, "Okay. I won't keep you then. Go see Thea and your friends."

She was about to turn and walk away when he grabbed her arm and said, "Hey, wait. If it's okay with you, I'd like you to come with me and meet them. Would you?"

Felicity tilted her head and thought for a moment. "Wow…" was the word that immediately popped into her head. He wanted her to meet his sister and his best friends, but she wasn't prepared for that. For a brief moment, she panicked, and she hoped he wouldn't notice it. What would she say to the people who, as he had told her in one their friendly chats, were the best friends in the world that he's had for years? What would they think of her? And how would Oliver introduce her to them? Those were some of the questions that rattled her brain and made her heart pound so hard and so fast that she thought he could feel it from one foot away. But the more she thought about his invitation, she realized that she should feel privileged, flattered even, for him to ask her to meet three of the closest people in his life. He was letting her into his inner circle, and she thought that it must count for something.

Oliver had quickly picked up from her facial expression and body language that the prospect of meeting his sister and friends had suddenly worried her. He knew he had to do something that would calm her down before she lost her nerve and declined entirely, so he squeezed her arm tenderly and said, "Please? It would mean a lot to me."

Felicity sighed and nodded, and then with a winsome smile said, "Okay, then. Let's go see them."

Oliver beamed at this. He was sure that Thea, Laurel, and Tommy were going to like Felicity. She had become very special to him, and he felt like he had earned bragging rights that day to introduce her to them with pride and joy. He offered her his arm. She took it gladly. They trod the brick path from the mess hall to the welcome center with a quiet understanding that everything would be all right.

* * *

Felicity let go of his arm when he stepped ahead to push the glass door of the welcome center open for her. From a distance, she could see two slender brunettes and a good-looking man (who appeared to be about the same age as Oliver but with dark hair) quietly seated at the lounge area. One of the brunettes was younger and shorter, so she assumed it was Thea. Thea was looking down, engrossed with something on her tablet and was certainly being entertained. She had a mischievous smile written all over her face and looked like she was about to break out into laughter. The other brunette, whom Felicity assumed to be Laurel, was drop-dead gorgeous. She wore a mocha-colored pencil skirt, a cream-colored blouse with a slightly plunging neckline that was enhanced by a string of pearls around her neck, and a mocha-colored blazer to match her skirt. Felicity wondered for a while why Laurel would wear such an outfit to camp, on a hot summer's day, but thought that it made the attractive female attorney look even more sharp and professional than she already appeared to be.

Felicity assumed that the cute, dark-haired guy was none other than Tommy Merlyn, Oliver's best friend way back from his childhood. Tommy was seated cross-legged beside Laurel with his arms draped across the backrest of the couch behind her. From that, and the way those two were looking at each other, Felicity deduced that there was definitely something that those two had going,which Oliver may have chosen not to share with her yet, or something that Oliver had not yet discovered himself. When she and Oliver were halfway through the distance between the entrance and the lounge, Tommy looked up and recognized Oliver.

Tommy stood up and, with a naughty grin on his face, said, "Well, well, well… if it isn't Oliver Queen… the prodigal son that Starling has been missing for the last couple of months." Tommy reached forward and grabbed his best friend's extended hand. Oliver intended to just shake his hand, but Tommy yanked him closer and gave him a rough but heartfelt bear hug. "How are you, man? We've missed you!" Tommy squeezed Oliver even more, and let go only when Laurel drew near them, tugging at Tommy's sleeve to indicate that she wanted her turn to hug Oliver too.

"Hey, Ollie!" Laurel greeted him as the two men pulled back from their hug. "How are you doing? We thought we'd surprise you by visiting today." Laurel and Oliver hugged, and Felicity only watched them in the sidelines, feeling a bit awkward watching the friend she had begun to really care about in the warm embrace of the woman he had told her about, the same woman who had been his only serious girlfriend for a few years, the same woman whose heart he had broken over and over again. Felicity did not sense the slightest bit of animosity between the two ex-lovers. She surmised that their relationship must have healed in recent years, and Oliver must have been right to assume that Laurel had forgiven him for everything he'd done that hurt her in the past when Laurel agreed to help him with legal and friendly counsel during this significant turning point in his life. Felicity sighed in relief and let go of that awkward feeling she was holding on to just a moment ago.

When Oliver pulled back from Laurel's embrace, he replied. "I'm good… great, in fact! What are you guys doing here? This is a nice surprise." He was all smiles.

By this time, Thea was already on her feet, moving closer to her brother. "Ollie!" the young lady exclaimed.

"Speedy! How are you?" Oliver greeted Thea with as much zest as his sister had greeted him when she crashed into his open arms. Oliver picked her up and spun her around twice.

"I'm fine! It's you we've been wondering about all this time," Thea answered. She pulled back, and when Oliver put her back down on the floor, she added, "We thought we'd surprise you by coming to see you. Laurel's a.m. schedule was oddly free today, so we thought we'd go for the long drive and head back just before lunch in time for her hearing this afternoon. I'm so glad that judge had scheduled her case as the last one for the day. It was easy for me to convince her and Tommy to tag along. That way, I don't have to drive. Tommy and Laurel picked me up at the mansion at three in the morning. Didn't think he was up to it, but yeah, here we are."

Thea was obviously excited to see her big brother, but the radiance in Oliver's eyes showed Felicity that he was even more excited than his sister. Felicity was really happy to witness for the first time the wonderful dynamic that brother and sister had between them. There was an invisible connection, a special bond that they shared. Oliver asked Thea how she'd been spending her summer, asked about their parents and what's been going on at the mansion, all of which Thea was able to answer in under a minute. She saw firsthand how much Oliver really adored and cared for his sister, and it made her heart flutter with fondness. She bit her lip, marveling at the sight of how Oliver Queen showed his love and care. She wondered if she would ever get the same privilege.

It was only when Oliver noticed how Tommy kept looking at the beautiful blonde behind him that he realized how rude he'd been. He'd gotten lost in his sister's little stories that he'd forgotten to introduce the very person he'd been so eager for them to meet. Felicity was still standing behind him in total silence. Oliver was about to say something when Tommy beat him to it.

"Ollie, I know how excited you are to see your sister, but I didn't think you'd forget your Queen manners, especially not in front of such a charming creature, whom I would love to have the pleasure of meeting," Tommy teased his best friend, walking towards Felicity and extending his hand to introduce himself. "Thomas Merlyn, Oliver's best friend, at your service," he said as Felicity took his hand. Tommy planted a kiss at the back of her hand.

"Felicity Smoak," she replied in kind.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude," Oliver apologized. "Thea, Laurel, Tommy… This is Felicity Smoak. She's my…" He paused for a second, and then confidently continued, "… newest best friend." He turned to touch her elbow and then looked at her with so much affection and sincerity as he finished his introduction.

Felicity's heart soared. Oliver must have thought about how he would introduce her to them while they were walking from the mess hall to the welcome center because it appeared to her that he had carefully chosen his words. And she just loved those three wonderful words. No other words could more suitably describe the status of their relationship at the moment. He didn't just think of her as a friend; he considered her one of his best friends. And although she was already ready to be more that just his best friend, he had made her feel special and very much appreciated just the same. At that moment her heart overflowed with mirth.

Laurel and Tommy greeted Felicity warmly. Laurel even pulled her in for a brief hug. Thea tried hard to hold back a snort, suspecting whether or not her brother's modest introduction had accurately defined his relationship with the new blonde beauty that stood before them.

Thea stepped forward to give Felicity a hug after simply saying, "Hello, my brother's newest best friend! When she pulled back, Thea said with a teasing grin on her face, "It's really nice to finally meet you, Felicity. My brother's been texting some really nice things about you in the past couple of weeks." Oliver glared at her and instantly she knew he wanted her to back off.

Oliver suggested that they head over to the snack bar and have some refreshments. He assumed his three guests must have been famished after that early, long drive from Starling. Thea, Tommy, and Laurel followed him and Felicity to the kiosk where they enjoyed hotdogs, fries, and cold beverages over a nice, friendly chat.

Thirty minutes into the conversation, Felicity had already decided that she liked Oliver's inner circle, and that she was very blessed to now be part of it. The way that Thea, Tommy, and Laurel appeared to have warmly received her had been a clear indication that the feeling was mutual. They laughed and exchanged stories, mostly about Oliver's childhood – some embarrassingly hilarious, some conjuring up sentimental and fond memories that gave Felicity more insight into the background of this wonderful man seated beside her, holding her hand under the table and caressing her knuckles tenderly yet unconsciously. She didn't mind, not at all. She herself was engaged in enthusiastic storytelling. She told her new friends about how they met, how they had won the Survivor Challenge trophy, and about how Oliver and Isabel Rochev had managed to humiliate themselves with the worst performance of _The Sound of Music_ she had ever seen in her life. When Tommy asked her to tell them more about herself, she obliged. She shared how she ended up being raised by the most wonderful foster parents in the whole wide world (without going into details that would have surely made her cry again). She told them stories of her years in MIT and in Boston, and how she got recruited by none other than Robert Queen himself.

"Ollie!" Thea exclaimed with widened eyes. "You never mentioned that Dad already knew her. That's a pretty significant detail, don't you think so?"

Oliver straightened up from having slightly slouched in his chair while listening to Felicity's stories. "Well, now you know, Thea. When you get back, you can tell Dad that I've already met the best employee he's ever hired for the company." He smiled at his sister.

Thea smiled back at him, mischievously. "And what do I tell Mom?"

Oliver was taken aback. He wasn't expecting her to bring their mother into the picture. Moira had always been in favor of Laurel, though she'd never expressed it to him outright. He knew his mother had high standards and certain unattainable expectations of girls he'd brought home in the past for her to meet. He was silent for a moment, contemplating how to respond to his sister. Felicity fidgeted nervously in her seat at this, but when Oliver finally spoke, her apprehension abated.

"You can tell Mom that I'm bringing Felicity to the mansion on her birthday party, that I can't wait for them to meet, and that she is going to love my best friend," Oliver declared.

That did it. Thea, Tommy, and Laurel confirmed that Oliver and Felicity were really _more_ than they had cared to admit, maybe even to themselves.

Laurel looked at Felicity and sensed how pleasantly uncomfortable Oliver's declaration was for her, so she – the wise woman she had become through the years – stood up and broke the ice that had suddenly settled. "Well, I've been sitting for most of the morning already. I'm afraid a pouch will grow on me if I sit for a moment longer. I, for one, would really like to go around and see what this camp is famous for. Which of you two would care to be my tour guide?" she asked Oliver and Felicity.

Felicity stood up and offered her humble service. Thea, too, stood up, excited to tour the camp site with the two older women. Tommy opted to stay and talk with Oliver, saying that he had been to this camp before, when Oliver had spent his summer away in Russia when they were sixteen and he had chosen to either attend summer camp or take on a summer job at his father's company, Merlyn Global.

* * *

As soon as the women had gone off a good distance away, Tommy said to Oliver, "Best friends, huh?"

"Yup," Oliver replied. He knew what Tommy was driving at. Deep inside Felicity was more than a best friend to him. He loved her, but he had no right or business to declare that because he wanted to honor their understanding. He also knew that they hadn't reached a level of commitment that allowed him to open up even to a close friend like Tommy about how he really felt about her.

"Are you sure, man? Coz the way you two interact… makes me think there's something more going on between you two. I'm sorry, Oliver, but… I know you too well," Tommy remarked.

"Tommy, you are entitled to your own opinion," Oliver responded. "I won't deny that Felicity is a great girl, and knowing her has really been…" Oliver didn't have to finish. His friend understood what he meant just by looking at him and listening to what he had left unspoken.

"Well, I don't care what you two call it. But in my book, there's nothing else to call it but 'smitten.' This girl has gotten you tied up in knots. You're crazy about her, more than you care to admit. And I'm totally all for it. She is a great gal, and I can see the magical effect she's had on you. You're different, Oliver. So different, I can't even begin to describe it!" Tommy explained.

Oliver just huffed and chuckled. He took a swig of his root beer and shook his head several times. "She doesn't believe in dating, Tommy. Can you believe it?"

"What?!" Tommy interjected. "She is different. So how do you…?" Tommy asked, puzzled.

"Right now, it isn't a problem. I can see her every day. But camp ends this weekend, and…"

"And you don't know how you can keep seeing her?" Tommy interrupted with a question that really wasn't a question. "Ollie, I know you. You can think of something. You've already said you're taking her to your mother's birthday bash."

"Yes, but that's almost two months away. I've gotten used to seeing her every single day in the last three weeks. I don't know if I can last a week without seeing her."

"Oh-ho-ho… You _are_ smitten, Oliver, my man!" Tommy teased.

"Tommy…" Oliver growled. "Help me out here. You and I both know we've mastered the tricks of how to win a girl over the years, but Felicity is not like other girls. You know what I mean?"

"I do. I know what you mean," Tommy answered on a more serious note. "I felt that way about Laurel, too. It started about the time she came back from law school and began her legal practice. I knew I was in love with her, but I didn't know what to do about it. Tommy Merlyn – at a loss over a woman. I couldn't believe it myself. Maybe that's how we guys know if a certain girl is _the one_. She drives us nuts!"

"Maybe… But Felicity doesn't drive me crazy. She… grounds me," Oliver explained concisely, but Tommy understood despite his dearth of words. After a few moments of careful thought, Oliver added, "She's become my compass, my light. Lately, I find myself thinking a lot about the future… with her in it. I'm finding that whatever I decide from now on, I feel compelled to consider how she would take it, how she'd be affected by it. It's like nothing else in my life right now matters to everything else like she does. That's the best way I can explain it."

Tommy sighed and shook his head. In an ironic mixture of disbelief and pride, he said to his friend, "You love her, man. I didn't believe I'd ever see the day when Oliver Queen really loved a woman. That day has come." He clapped Oliver's back, and then leaned back against his chair's back rest, interlocking his hands at the back of his head.

"So, what do I do?" Oliver asked.

"You tell her," Tommy answered with a smirk on his face. Oliver's eyes narrowed, unsure of whether to take his friend seriously or not. "I'm serious," Tommy remarked.

"Just like that? Wouldn't she find it strange? I mean, we've only known each other for three weeks," Oliver said with trepidation.

"Listen, Oliver," Tommy said, as he leaned forward again and rested both his forearms on the table. He wanted his friend to listen, really listen. Tommy looked him straight in the eyes and said, "I've known Laurel since we were kids, and it took me more than three years to realize and admit to myself that I have loved her all this time. It has only taken you three weeks to know that Felicity is the one. Three weeks, three months, three years – I don't think the time frame matters as much as the sincerity of your intentions. You have to tell her what's in your heart, and however she responds to it, it's her choice. You just have to respect that. But you've got to tell her. Then, let her decide what kind of relationship the two of you can have after you've been honest about your intentions and feelings. You'll never know if you don't bring yourself to tell her. Trust me. I've been there."

Oliver smiled at his friend. "Tommy, I must say I'm impressed. Whatever it is that you and Laurel have, it must be real. I didn't believe I'd ever see the day my best friend could give me sound advice. That day has come." Oliver used the same line that Tommy had used on him a while ago.

"I think Felicity is special, Ollie. Don't make the mistake of letting her go. And whatever you do, please don't break her heart," Tommy said. Oliver picked up on his friend's imperative and said softly, "Okay."

The two friends carried on in their conversation, amazed at how they have both grown in their insights and perspectives on life, as well as outgrown their immaturities and childish ways. They realized that much of it had been because they had learned to love someone truly.

* * *

Felicity had taken Thea and Laurel to just about every facility that Adventure Camp had. After an hour or so of touring and trekking, Laurel's feet were just about ready to surrender. She had already taken off her blazer when she first felt sweat on her back, neck, and underarms. On the beach, she took off her shoes and walked barefoot, dangling her heels back and forth with her right hand.

"Oh, the sand feels so good!" Laurel expressed out loud.

"Yeah, it does," Felicity agreed. "I love beaches, maybe not as much as the water, but I do. There's just something about the coarseness of the sand under my feet, the fresh salty breeze blowing against my hair, and the sound of waves crashing on the shore, surging and ebbing. It's just so relaxing. Makes you remember that life is precious, and that it's worth it to just stop, take a break from our busy schedules, and enjoy God's world from time to time."

"I know! It's so easy to forget that life can be beautiful. That's why I'm grateful for having Tommy in my life right now," Laurel responded. "Thanks, Thea. This trip is really a great idea."

"You're welcome," the youngest woman replied.

At the mention of Tommy being in Laurel's life, Felicity instantly thought about Oliver. She, too, was really glad to have him in her life right now.

Laurel went on to say, "The career path I've taken hasn't been easy. Late nights preparing for court cases, corrupt public officials, hardened criminals, and innocent people ending up in jail for felonies they didn't commit… Ugh! Often times I think that people will never change!"

"I think… I think people _can_ change," Felicity reacted. "I know I have. I used to be bitter about my past. I let my abandonment issues haunt me and influence the way I see myself and my future. I used to be fearful, and quite wary – such an understatement – of guys who showed interest in me because of a very traumatic incident in college – the details of which, I prefer to spare you of… I'm sorry, I tend to babble."

"Yeah, we noticed," Thea commented.

Felicity chuckled and then continued. "My point is that I think that if we really want to, we can change for the better. Take Oliver, for example." Thea's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. She was tempted to interrupt Felicity, but she restrained herself. She decided she would much rather listen to Felicity's assessment of her brother. "Everybody knows what kind of guy Oliver _was_ , and the picture anyone would have painted of him might have been pretty messy and miserable. His arrest, probation, and community service were his wake up call. This has been a major turning point in his life."

"Agree. Go on," said Laurel.

"The first time I met him I was aloof and unfriendly, maybe even snobbish. Everything I'd read about, heard about, and saw on TV about him told me he was bad news. I tried to avoid him. But, seriously, how could I avoid him in this kind of a situation? The more I observed how he cared for his boys, how he treated women – and people in general – in the last three weeks… Oh! I couldn't reconcile the old Oliver with this new version of him that I'd met. I was suspicious at first, but as the days passed by, I couldn't deny it much longer. This guy had changed. He's kind, caring, thoughtful, respectful, considerate, and… sweet."

"Hold on!" Thea interrupted. "Are we talking about the same guy here? Oliver Queen, my brother? Right?" she asked incredulously.

"Same guy. Oliver Queen version 2.0," Felicity replied. That technical description of Oliver coming from an IT specialist made Thea and Laurel laugh. "Anyways, what I'm saying is that it _is_ possible for people to change from the inside out. They just need _something_ to give them a push in the right direction."

Laurel suddenly stopped walking and remarked, "You mean, _someone_." She looked into Felicity's eyes and smiled.

"What?" Felicity asked, confused.

"You said people need _something_ to push them towards the direction of positive change. For Oliver, that something was the legal system at work. But don't you think the change that you see in him now also had to take _someone_ pushing him in the same direction towards change?" Laurel replied. Thea smiled, getting Laurel's drift quickly.

"Well, sure. There's you. If you hadn't agreed to be his court appointed legal counsel and supervisor, he wouldn't have had the courage to keep going. He told me so," Felicity replied. Laurel smiled again. "Then there's Thea. Oliver's always talked about how he cares about his sister. He says he's trying to change so that he could give Thea a positive example to follow from now on. You're really blessed to have a brother who loves you, Thea." This time it was Thea's turn to smile, brushing off a stray tear that fell from her eye down to her cheek. "Mr. and Mrs. Queen also shoved him into the right direction," Felicity continued, "although I think they should have done that 'tough love' approach earlier in his life to have avoided the irreversible consequences of his poor choices in the past. And there's Tommy! He's always been there for Oliver."

"And there's _**you**_ ," Laurel spoke softly yet unflinchingly as she touched Felicity's arm. Laurel thought that for a genius like Felicity, she sure was slow to realize what she'd been driving at.

"Me?" Felicity's forehead crinkled at the thought. "But I've only known him for three weeks. How could I have-"

"Exactly! That's what's amazing about all this," Thea began to argue. "You've only known each other for three weeks, and it's like my brother is a whole new different person. It's like you've cast some sort of spell on him or something. You're better than a fully equipped rehab center! Believe me, Felicity, I've never seen him this way. He's changed, that's for sure. But there's something else. His eyes are sparkling. His broody expression has been replaced by a smile. And, oh my goodness, he's laughing again! He doesn't seem to need alcohol anymore just to carry on a candid conversation like he always did. He's been texting me some things he'd like to do to help the boys in the orphanage and the people in Starling when he gets back. I thought he was just kidding. But seeing how he is now, I… I still can't believe it!"

"Yeah, his father would be so proud," Felicity remarked.

Laurel added, "He cares about you, Felicity, and I think that's a huge part of why he's changing for the better."

Felicity opened her mouth in an attempt to counter Thea's argument, but she couldn't get a word out. She looked at Thea and Laurel and both women were smiling at her with unusual warmth in their eyes. "I don't know what to say," Felicity uttered, dumbfounded at her new friends' honest, straightforward evaluation of her and Oliver.

"Say you feel the same way about my brother," Thea said. "He needs you in his life, Felicity. You help make him a better person. I can see it in your eyes, too, actually. You care about Ollie."

Felicity looked down at the sand, thinking. _Actually, I think I love him._

"There you go!" Thea's remark was immediately followed by Laurel's, "Then tell him so."

"What? Oh… did I just say that out loud?" Felicity asked, embarrassed at her own accidental admission of her feelings for Oliver to his sister and ex-girlfriend. She looked down again, this time with eyes closed shut, wishing that quicksand would just swallow her up in one piece at that moment.

"You've got to tell him," Thea said. "Haven't you two talked about these things?" she asked.

"A bit… last week," Felicity replied. "But since I told him I didn't want to go dating, we just agreed to be friends."

"Unbelievable!" Thea's jaw dropped in bewilderment.

"And how did Oliver take it?" Laurel asked, genuinely curious.

Felicity answered, "Very well, I think. Like a gentleman, he stepped back and gave me the space I needed. He's not the possessive type, I see. I did sense that Barry and Ray made him a bit jealous…" She stopped when she saw Laurel's and Thea's eyes widen at the mention of two other men in her life, and then she continued. "Oh, they're also adult chaperons here at camp. Barry's from Central City and I've known him most of my life… like a brother. Ray Palmer is from-"

"Wait! Did you say Ray Palmer? CEO of Palmer Tech?" Thea asked.

"Yes. It turns out he's the biggest sponsor of Adventure Camp, and he… he's sort of interested in me. Professionally and otherwise." Felicity bit her lip, realizing she was opening up too much to her new girl friends. This was her second embarrassing confession for the day, and she told herself that she couldn't take much more.

"And Oliver didn't throw a tantrum?" Laurel asked, both eyes narrowed.

"No, not at all," Felicity replied. "He was quite calm and composed, and he still gave me space. He even looked after my girls when I had to meet with Ray about business last night. He seemed okay with it."

"Really strange…" Thea muttered.

"Felicity, listen," Laurel spoke. "When Ollie and I were together, he wasn't like this at all. When he'd get jealous – which was every time a guy came up to me just to talk – he'd be so angry he'd walked out on a civilized discussion and storm into the nearest bar he could find. He'd get drunk and get the worst hangovers in the morning. He'd be broody for days, and I always had to be the one to reach out and condescend. He was an unreasonably jealous jerk, who managed to still be possessive of me even while he was cheating on me! I see the way he looks at you, the way he behaves around you. Yes, we were together for a few years, but…" Laurel blinked and sighed. "He's never looked at me the way he looks at you. He's never been this way with any woman. Just you. Don't you think it strange that he would treat you in such a special way if he didn't care about you, I mean, _really_ care about you?"

Thea added her ten cents worth of advice that she hoped her brother's newest best friend would take. "Felicity, _we_ 've known Ollie longer than you have, and with everything we've seen and heard today and in the past couple of weeks, we think it's wonderful that in just a short time and in some extraordinary way, Ollie has learned to love you. And if we're right – and believe me, we are – we think he wants to be more than just your friend. I can see it in his eyes, and his eyes never lie. I think, he won't bring it up anytime soon because he respects your agreement to be just friends. So, you've got to tell him how you feel about him."

Felicity looked out to sea, looked up to the feathery white clouds in the vast, blue sky. She couldn't deny it, nor could she argue differently with her two new friends. She herself had thought along the same lines just the day before, in the coffee shop while waiting for Ray, during the trip back to camp in Ray's car, and just before she closed her eyes last night. She had decided she was ready, but like Oliver, she had needed someone to give her that final push towards the right direction. She just didn't expect for that "someone" to be Oliver's sister and former girlfriend.

Felicity thanked Laurel and Thea for their sincere care and concern and told them that she and Oliver would be having that talk. Very soon. They hugged, and then headed back to the kiosk where they left the boys.

* * *

 **A/N: Oliver and Felicity's conversation is really the fourth in this series of conversations, but it will be the bridge into the final chapter of this story. How do you think it will turn out? How do you suggest it should turn out? Let me know what you think.**


	10. Chapter 10: Summer's End

**Chapter 10: Summer's End**

 **A/N: This is it! Ten thousand words for the tenth and final chapter to this story. I hope that you'll stick with it despite its length - as it is the longest chapter I've ever written, to date - because I put my heart and soul into this, hoping that it becomes a fitting ending to an amazing storytelling experience. Brace yourself and enjoy this roller coaster ride!**

 **Also, I do not own the words and music of _Love of My Life._ The credit to this beautiful song belongs to Jim Brickman. You may want to listen to the song while reading the last portion of this chapter. **

* * *

After parting words and hugs, Oliver and Felicity sent off Thea, Tommy, and Laurel, who headed back to Starling City in haste. Laurel was quite worried that they won't make it back in time for her child custody hearing at 3:30 because it was already 10:45 by the time they bid their friends a final farewell and drove off from Adventure Camp. Tommy assured her, though, that they'd make it in time with him at the wheel and especially because it wouldn't be rush hour yet by the time they approach Starling. They had hurriedly bought food from the snack bar to tide them over lunch so that they wouldn't have to stop at some diner along the way.

When they left, Oliver and Felicity had to postpone their talk. Again. Felicity told him that she had promised to take the girls out for a swim on the beach and then teach them how to do a few strokes at the pool. Because of their unexpected guests, they'd been already cooped up in their cabin for more than two hours that morning, which was more than what tweeners need before they get bored and restless. Oliver, who was the one a tad bit disappointed this time, agreed; he told her that he was willing to wait until later. He decided to take his boys to the hard court and play basketball with them until lunch time and then practice some archery with them in the afternoon.

So, Oliver and Felicity agreed to meet after dinner, after they get their boys and girls settled in their cabins and ready for bedtime chats. They would have a good forty-five minutes before camp staff would signal for "lights out," but they realized they couldn't meet at the boardwalk anymore. Felicity suggested that they meet at the tree house instead, the green one that's off the sandy path that connected the male and female cabin areas. That one looked newly renovated and sturdy, and up there, they would have a good, clear view of the front porches of both their cabins and keep an eye on things while they talk. Oliver thought it was a great idea.

Oliver pined for Felicity for the rest of that day. He was going to tell her how he truly felt. He was going to ask her if she was ready to be more than friends. Sure, she might argue that they've been acquaintances for a week and then friends for two – just a meager sum of 21 days – but he was determined to tell her that he'd never been more sure about anything in his life.

The hours of waiting felt like weeks. That afternoon at target practice, even as he was helping the boys get better with their camp-issued bows and arrows, he reminisced the time last week when it was Felicity he was training. Once or twice he closed his eyes, clutching his compound bow with one hand and an arrow with the other. He could still feel his arm around her waist, steadying her, grounding her properly for a normal stance. He could still smell the strawberry scent of her hair. He could remember her trembling in nervousness at first, and then eventually relaxing in his arms and taking deep breaths to calm herself like he'd taught her to.

Felicity was feeling the same way. All day. On the beach, as she was putting sunscreen lotion on the back of one of her girls, she remembered the morning of the mini triathlon, particularly how Oliver looked at her intently as she applied sunscreen on her bare legs, and how her skin burned and her heart pounded in her chest at his ardent gaze. At the pool after letting the girls do some laps, she remembered the day they won the swimming relay; it was the day he had pulled her out of the water and handed her a fresh towel, congratulating and complimenting her for swimming with the speed and grace of a dolphin.

Over lunch she went over her speech again and again in her head as the frozen cream of her peach-graham float melted beneath her chin. None of her girls dared to bother her from her rumination though. She was deep in thought about how their talk was going to go. Since he had already opened up to her about his intentions the other weekend, she resolved that it was perfectly fine – and just about time, she had to add – for her to respond to him, to tell him that she truly cared about him. She was hoping that this way, she could somehow get him to ask her again if she was ready for their relationship to move forward. Because her answer this time would definitely be a _yes._

At day's end, Oliver and Felicity headed to the tree house from opposite directions. Oliver was already at the foot of the huge tree by the time she arrived. They both said 'hi' and asked how their day went. But when they decided that small talk was just a waste of their precious 45-minute window, they walked hand in hand to the other side of the tree where the ladder was. He lifted her up by the waist and let her climb up first. When he was sure she had reached the top safely, he followed. They picked a nice spot at the balcony where they would have a clear view of their cabins.

"I had a wonderful time with Thea, Laurel, and Tommy this morning. You certainly know how to pick your friends," Felicity began.

"Oh, I knew you'd love them," Oliver responded, "as much as they'd love you. That's why I wanted you to meet them." Oliver gazed at her and marveled at her beauty even in the moonlight as it cast shadows through the leaves on her face. He decided to cut to the chase and ask what she had wanted to talk to him about. "So—what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh… stuff," she began, quite tentatively at first, unsure of how to begin in spite of the many repetitions she had rehearsed in her head earlier that day. "I was anxious to see you last night when I arrived from Coast City, but I guess my meeting with Ray took longer than expected. I didn't catch you at the mess hall, so I figured after breakfast would be fine, but that didn't work out either, and then your friends came and…"

"Fe-li-ci-ty." Oliver interrupted her from her ramblings, but Felicity didn't mind. There was something romantic about how he had said her name that way. As usual, she apologized and he told her it was fine. She blushed and hoped that the dim moonlight was able to conceal it somehow.

"So… how did the business date with Palmer go?" Oliver asked.

Felicity was a bit surprised that he suddenly asked about that. Sure, last night and earlier at breakfast she meant to share that dilemma with him and ask for his advice, but after the enlightening conversation with Thea and Laurel, Palmer's job offer had taken the back seat. She had wanted to talk about her feelings for him and get their relationship sorted out first. Nevertheless, she didn't want to appear evasive, so she saw nothing wrong with just frankly answering his question and get that topic done with.

"It was o-kay." She started off slow, and then as her confidence grew, she just candidly let the truth out. "And as far as I was concerned, it wasn't a date _date_. Unfortunately, for him, it must have been." She paused, looked down, and after a tender, teasing glance that almost made Oliver's legs give way, she confessed, "He asked me out on a date."

"Did he?" Oliver asked, amused. "And what did Felicity Smoak say?"

Felicity found his third-person talk funny, and as she laughed, she replied, "Felicity Smoak told Ray Palmer that she didn't believe in dating. Is Oliver Queen satisfied?"

Oliver grinned. He was satisfied. But he asked, "You told him that?"

"Yeah! Why not? It's the same thing I told you. I'm a fairly consistent person."

"And what did he say?"

"Oh… just a bunch of reasons why he thought I should reconsider, but… nothing substantial enough to convince me to change my mind… not even an offer of friendship," she answered confidently with a twinkle in her eye.

Oliver grinned once again and shook his head in delight. "You are remarkable, Felicity," he said with a chuckle. "Was that all you talked about?" He risked pressing her with another question.

"Well, he didn't offer me friendship… like you did. But before that, he did offer me… a job, a very tempting one at that," she replied cautiously, a phrase at a time. She pressed her lips together when she finished.

"He… what?" Oliver was stunned. His grin began to fade, and his forehead began to crease.

"He offered me a top-level position in his company that paid five times what QC has been paying me monthly for the last five years, a job that came with a house and a car, which means that if I take it… I'd have to move… to Coast City."

"I see," was all Oliver could utter after hearing her words. Anger suddenly began to boil deep down in his gut. He felt heat begin to rise from his stomach to his heart and to his head, and his temper was threatening to blow. His molars were grinding inside his mouth. At that moment, he could think of a dozen appropriate cuss words to blurt out against Ray Palmer and his devious girl-grabbing tactics. He had stolen a girl from him once before, and he is doing it again now. No, not Felicity. Please. He turned and stepped away so that she couldn't see the rage building up on his face. He just needed timeout to breathe.

Felicity quickly picked up on his body language, sensing that the news had suddenly upset him. She followed him to the corner of the balcony where he stood, his back turned against her. When she instinctively placed her hand over his trembling hand, the one that clutched the wooden post of the tree house balcony with a death grip, it stopped shaking.

"Hey, Oliver. It's okay. I'm not Anna," Felicity said softly, barely a whisper. With just those few yet loaded words, Oliver began to calm down. He turned around to face her, and she saw that his countenance had fallen. She felt a tinge of regret that she had told him the truth. Maybe if she had held back the news about the job offer, this conversation would not have taken a wrong turn. She tried to maneuver it back to the track she had intended for it to go. "And I haven't even said yes, you know," she added, attempting to make him feel better.

"But… you're considering it," he said without looking at her. It was more of a statement of observation and perception rather than a question. He stared at their intertwined hands.

"I… uhm… I told him I needed time to think about it," she replied, stammering through that sentence anxiously. "I said I'll have an answer for him on the night of the banquet."

Oliver was silent. Too silent. And it made Felicity even more anxious. He still could not look at her. His eyes were glued to their entangled hands.

After a full minute of deep thought, Oliver began to speak again. He asked, "Are you not happy in my father's company?"

Felicity thought about her answer for a moment. She'd be lying if she told him she was thrilled about her job at QC. She was less than fulfilled in her current position; she'd been stuck with tedious, routine tasks that didn't match her exceptional skills or maximize her potential, and the prospect of promotion anytime soon was bleak, not if things stayed the way they were. No, she wasn't complaining; in fact, despite the circumstances, she remained committed to her job. She also clung to a huge debt of gratitude to Robert Queen for hiring her fresh from MIT with just her academic credentials to back her up and without prior experience other than a six-month OJT in Boston. Yet, she didn't have the heart to tell Oliver that she wasn't exactly ecstatic about her present career status. It would make him even more upset, and she feared that it might even drive a wedge between them, but she didn't want to lie to him either. So she opted to remain speechless.

Sadly, speechless produced the same negative effect she had tried to elude, because Oliver mistakenly assumed that her silence meant that her answer was _no_. He moved his hand such that Felicity had to let go of it even if she didn't want to.

"Felicity, you're a very talented, gifted woman. You are good at what you do. If your job at QC is not giving you the satisfaction that you need… and deserve… then maybe… you should take that other job," Oliver said. He still wasn't looking up at her, but Felicity could somehow sense the mixture of earnestness and pain in his voice.

Because that was exactly how he felt – earnest yet pained. Sure, he could very easily manipulate things by asking his father to arrange something with HRD and offer her a better career package, maybe even a promotion or a department transfer with more perks; after all, he was the CEO's son, and he had rarely used his connections inside his family's company. But he knew that Felicity wouldn't appreciate that; she wasn't that kind of person. He'd lose her trust that way, and she'd lose her self-respect.

Oliver sincerely wanted Felicity to be the best that she can be. He wanted her to have all the blessings that life had to offer. He wanted her to succeed, to be happy. Because he loved her. However, he also knew that if she took the job at Palmer Tech and moved away, it would be – for them – the end of something that hadn't even started yet. It would be impractical and disadvantageous for both of them to carry on a long distance relationship. He wanted to be near her. Also, it wouldn't be right for him to hold her back from a potentially beneficial career move. It wouldn't be fair to her. So, with anguish of soul, he knew he had to let her go. And right then and there, he did.

"Whatever you decide, do it for yourself. Not for QC. Not for my father. Not for me. Do what you think is best for your life at this time. Just know that all I want… all I want is for you to be happy and successful." This time, he was looking into her eyes in total abandon. He was willing to give her up for her own good.

But Felicity did not understand that. She did not know what was going on in his heart, in his mind. His words burned their way into her heart. She was confused, and it was written all over her face. "If he really wants to be with me, then why isn't he talking me out of this? Has he changed his mind? Why would he push me away? We haven't even started yet, and he's giving up, just like that?" The questions cluttered her befuddled mind. She was supposed to tell him that she loved him and that she was ready to commit to being his girlfriend. How was she supposed to tell him that now? Now that he didn't seem to want to be with her as much as she wanted to be with him?

Her chest tightened with unreleased tension. Yes, she wanted to be happy and successful. Who wouldn't? But her heart screamed in silence, "What good is a happy and successful life if _you_ are not in it?" That was what she wanted to tell him at that moment, but unconsciously her lips uttered three words she didn't really mean to say. "Are you sure?"

His heart screamed back in silence, "I'm sure of one thing: I love you and I care about you. But I'm willing to let you go so that you could have the life you deserve." That was what he wanted to tell her in response. Instead, he settled for one word that sealed that night's tragically ironic conversation. "Positive," he replied.

After saying 'good night' to each other, they left the tree house and parted ways in silence. They walked down the sandy path in opposite directions.

Felicity cried herself to sleep as soon as she was sure that all her girls had fallen into deep slumber.

Oliver was unable to sleep at all.

* * *

In the next three days Adventure Camp staff had lined up life coaching workshops in the mornings and evenings that were designed to help the orphaned boys and girls cope with some of their life issues, hang-ups, and emotional traumas; in the afternoons, everyone was free to do anything he or she wanted.

For Oliver and Felicity, it was "business as usual." They carried on as friends, that is to say, they were careful to avoid any encounter or conversation that would lead to admitting how they truly felt about each other. There were occasional furtive glances, at times without the other knowing. At other times they'd end up locking gazes, not knowing how to react or what to say.

Barry Allen, the keenly observant forensic investigator that he was, noticed what was going on and initiated a conversation with Felicity over dinner. "Did you two have a falling out or something?" Barry asked frankly.

"Who?" Felicity asked, pretending not to know what he was referring to.

"You and Queen."

"Me and Oliver? Fall out? No! What made you think that?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's the fact that you've been trying to avoid being alone with him, or the fact that he's no longer touching your shoulder or your elbow or your arm when you two happen to talk. Or maybe it's the fact that your casual conversations have become superficial and trivial. Licity, the obvious clues are more telling than fingerprints and DNA," Barry argued.

"Barry, we're still good friends. That's what we've been, and that's how we'll be – just good friends," she replied in a tone of voice that her long-time friend recognized to be her guarded one.

"You can deny it all you want, but don't forget I deal with nonverbal evidence often. And I'm a guy, too. I can tell by the way a guy looks at a girl if he wants them to be more than just friends, and right now, Oliver Queen is that guy in your life," Barry pushes on with a smirk on his face.

Felicity stays quiet and doesn't bother to look at him. She uses her fork to play with the potatoes on her plate that she didn't plan on eating anyway.

"Something must have happened in the last few days that changed the dynamic between you two. But I'm telling you… the way he looks at you hasn't changed. Neither has the way you look at him. The smiles are still there, just… sadder."

"I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to say," Felicity finally spoke.

"What I'm saying is… whatever is going on between the two of you, you should fix it. You know I love you, Licity. You're like the sister I never had. I like seeing your face glow when you're with him. He's good for you, and I'd hate for something so beautiful to be wasted just because you or Oliver or both of you can't deal with certain issues, which I'm sure you're old enough to sort out. Just think about it, will you?"

Felicity simply nodded and smiled at her friend.

Felicity did think about it that night. She was the one who couldn't sleep this time. She mulled over what happened in the tree house Monday night, realizing that the ball was really in her hands. She realized that she was the one who needed to make the crucial decisions. Oliver had laid his cards on the table. His intentions had been clear from the time they'd talked honestly on the boardwalk: that he liked her and wanted to take their friendship to the next level. She was the one who wasn't ready at the time. Oliver had given her the free hand to choose whether or not to accept the job at Palmer Tech, saying that he'd support whatever she would decide to do if she were sure she'd be happy, successful, and fulfilled. He had been totally transparent with her, and she was the one who froze and stopped talking that night in the tree house. What she had misinterpreted became clear to Felicity: that Oliver – being the respectable, selfless, admirable gentleman that he had become – could not, and would not, move another inch forward towards them being together because it was _her_ turn to make her move.

* * *

The very next day Felicity did make her move. She took her second chance after the inspirational talk about "making peace with one's past" by a visiting professional counselor from Coast City that morning. Before Oliver could stand up from his seat in the session hall, she slumped into the seat next to him and flashed a winsome smile.

"Hey! Can we talk?" Felicity asked with zest.

"Sure!" Oliver smiled back and replied with a zest that matched hers. "Right now?"

"Yeah, we have free time now until lunch, right? Boardwalk?" she asked, still smiling from ear to ear.

"Okay, let's go," he replied.

But before Oliver and Felicity could stand up to leave, his phone rang. He excused himself to take the call, seeing from the picture and number on the screen that it was his father. "Dad?" he greeted. For him, this was such a pleasant surprise.

Oliver talked for a while with his dad – just the usual greetings and how-are-you's at first. Then the conversation seemed to have taken a serious tone. Felicity noticed Oliver's beautiful blue eyes welling up with tears. She reached out to him, placing her hand on his knee as a gesture of reassuring support for whatever it was that was making him emotional.

"Thanks, Dad. This means a lot to me. Never thought the day would come when you'd tell me how much I've made you proud," Oliver said, as he instinctively took Felicity's hand and their fingers intertwined. She was surprised he had done this, because she couldn't remember them touching in any way in the last couple of days.

And then something very unusual and pleasantly astonishing happened. Oliver pulled the phone away from his ear, covered the mouthpiece, and said to Felicity, "My father says he wants to talk to you."

At first Felicity thought it was a joke, but when Oliver handed her his phone, she realized he was serious. A bit reluctantly, she took the phone from his hand and placed it near her ear, shrugging her shoulders in disbelief. "Hello? Mr. Queen?" she spoke.

"Ms. Smoak? It's really good to hear your voice. I'll never forget a first impression. Your babbling was the trademark that made you memorable all throughout the screening process when I recruited you," Robert Queen greeted.

"Why, thank you, sir," Felicity responded politely, yet feeling a bit self-conscious beside Oliver.

"Tommy and Laurel joined us for dinner last night and they were telling me all about… What did they call it? Oh yes, a version 2.0 of my son Oliver. At first I couldn't believe my ears, but the more stories they told, the more I realized they must have been telling the truth. Tough love did work after all! I was just telling Oliver how proud I am of the changes in his life. He has come a long, long way in just two months…" the elder Queen explained away.

The rest of it sounded more like a buzz in Felicity's ear because she was no longer paying much attention to any of Robert Queen's rambles. First, Felicity thought that he must have hired her because they had something in common: they both tended to babble. Second and more importantly, she wondered why the top boss of the company she worked for, and the father of her friend, was telling her all these. _Her,_ of all people.

Robert Queen continued, "… and so I asked Laurel Lance to petition the judge for leniency, to consider shortening the length of his community service so that he could enroll in Starling City College this Fall and finish his senior year in business even while he's still on probation. After all of this is over and Oliver graduates with a degree in hand, he can take over the QC branch we've recently launched in Moscow. Oliver really, really liked it there in Russia. I'd always known my son had it in him to succeed after all, and I know he will."

Russia. That's thousands of miles away. Those were Felicity's exact thoughts as the older man continued to speak into her ear. The distance between Starling City and Coast City was nothing compared to the distance between Russia and the U.S. Felicity's stomach churned. Here she was, attempting to salvage a relationship that had taken a wrong turn a few nights ago, and she'd been so close. They were about to have that talk before this call came through, and now there's… Russia. Her brain swiftly calculated the possibilities and probabilities of a long distance relationship. But Russia? Russia was too far. Too far for _them_ to work.

Felicity started to think, "Maybe he and I just aren't meant to be. Each time I'm about to tell him that I'm ready, something comes up. Maybe it's a sign or something." It was easier for her to believe that than for her to believe that things might just work out between her and Oliver. Her childhood insecurities and abandonment phobia began to resurface as she pictured the gloomy scenario of eventually losing Oliver when he leaves her for Russia. Permanently. Why would she invest time and emotion for a lost cause? Why would she commit to a relationship only for him to break it off with her later?

And that wasn't all. Robert Queen wrapped up his lengthy speech with an unforeseen request. "…So I guess the reason I wanted to speak with you, Ms. Smoak, is two-fold. First, I want to thank you and tell you how grateful I am that you became my son's friend because you seem to have had a positive influence on him. Thea seems to think so. She couldn't stop raving about you and how wonderfully you and my son have been working together. Second, I was wondering if you could perhaps help him out in his studies when he returns to business school. You know, help him pass his remaining courses? I'm not looking for straight A's, my dear, just for him to graduate honorably."

"Uhm, I guess I should say, 'You're welcome' about the first thing, sir. And about the second thing, maybe I'm not the right person to-" Felicity was interrupted by her boss, not rudely, just out of much enthusiasm. Robert Queen tried his best to convince her that, being Oliver's newest best friend, she was perfect – not to mention, qualified – to be his tutor.

Felicity couldn't help but feel awkward. Incredulously speaking, she thought at first that for an educated, experienced man, Robert Queen was quite dense and insensitive. How could he ask her to do something that would draw her physically and emotionally closer to his son only to have her release him later on when he leaves for Russia permanently? But then again, after some thought, it dawned on her that Mr. Queen knew nothing about how his son truly felt about her and how she truly felt about him. Thea might have left that detail out to respect their privacy. So, she cut her boss some slack. After all, this was all on her, and how she would respond to the new dilemma she faced.

Ray's offer and Robert's plans. Ugh! Those two were enough to drive her insane! Right then and there she retreated from what she had intended to do before this game-changing phone call. She needed some time to think things through. Again.

The call ended congenially. Felicity said goodbye to her employer after telling him that she would carefully consider his request and give him an answer when she returns to work. Oliver bid farewell to his father, cautioning him not to pressure Felicity into saying yes.

As Oliver put his phone back into his pocket, Felicity said to him, "I think that phone call made me miss my Mom and Dad. Do you mind if we did a rain check on that talk? I'd really like to give them a call right now."

That was the best excuse she could come up with at that time, and she had to follow through with it. As soon as Oliver courteously acquiesced to her sudden change of mind, she turned her face away so that he wouldn't see her tearing up. When Oliver saw her take her phone out of her purse and dial her mother's number, he walked away and gave her the space she asked for.

* * *

Oliver had sensed that something was off when the phone call ended. He racked his brain trying to think of what his father might have said to upset Felicity. His dad had spoken nicely and warmly to her. He presumed that his father's request for her to tutor him beginning the Fall semester shouldn't have been a big deal to her because they were friends. In fact, it would have made her excited to help him. It must have been something else in the conversation before that matter came up. That was just about the same time her facial expression had begun to change, he remembered. Oliver had no clue. Felicity had only been listening to his father explain about his dreams for his son to run their company in Russia; she didn't utter a single word. That's why Oliver had nothing to go on.

He survived that day… and another day… of not knowing what had gone wrong. Felicity had seemed enthused about something that she wanted so badly to tell him, but everything changed after that phone call. In fact, things had gotten worse since then. She had become more civil and guarded towards him. Oh, she was still sweet and nice, greeting him kindly here and there whenever they bumped into each other, but she stopped initiating conversations, she hardly opened up spontaneously anymore, and she scarcely shared about how her day went. She had not even brought up their postponed talk yet, and he was afraid she may never.

Oliver knew there was nothing he could do but give her the space she needed to think things through – whatever was bothering her, whether or not she would take the job at Palmer Tech, whether or not she would agree to his father's proposal, and most importantly, what she decided their relationship should be. He loved her, and he would respect her choices regardless of the consequences he'd have to face. Oliver spent the last days of camp hoping for the best and – for the first time in a very long time – praying that Felicity Smoak would make wise choices for _her_ own good.

On the morning of the last day, the day of the closing banquet, a special motivational speaker from Australia arrived. As soon as he was introduced, Nick Vujicic appeared from the backstage to the shock of the entire audience. Nick had no arms and legs! With widened eyes, Oliver estimated that Nick would probably just reach up to his waist if they stood side by side. In his introduction, Nick explained that he had been born that way, to the devastation of his parents. Growing up, he had questioned God why. He had asked God countless times what wrong he'd done to deserve this congenital defect, this wretched life. Then he narrated his life-changing, personal encounter with Christ and how he surrendered his life to Him. That, he had said, was the turning point in his life, when he began to realize that even an "anomaly" like him had a purpose. He told everyone how much God had been using him to share His love to people all over the world, to tell every person who felt hopeless that his or her life can have meaning. Nick demonstrated to the audience some of the cool things he could do with his little feet, how he answers telephones, how he could play with balls. Felicity was impressed when Nick showed them videos of how he worked on a computer, drove his own car, and even swam in his backyard pool. Nick declared that he believed God could use anyone regardless of his or her background or lot in life, and that no obstacle is insurmountable for those who have faith in God. That portion of his speech really gave the orphans in the hall a boost. Every boy and girl rose to his or her feet and applauded the Australian miracle, while Felicity remained seated, pondering on the very same things that her foster parents had taught her growing up.

But the thing that caught both Oliver's and Felicity's attention most of all was Nick Vujicic's love story. Nick shared that one of his greatest dreams in life – which _was_ also his biggest disappointment – was to be married. Nick shared how badly he had wanted to love and be loved by a special girl and have a family of his own, despite his condition. He had wondered what an embrace felt like and longed to receive it, even if he would never be able to give it to anyone, being limbless. He shared that there had been times he'd fallen into despair and doubted, but that by the grace of God he had kept on believing and trusting Him for the impossible. When Nick's gorgeous (and very pregnant) wife emerged from the backstage to join him, everybody applauded. Some of the guys even did cat calls (including one Oliver Queen). By the time the couple had finished showing pictures and video clips of how they met, of their wedding, and of their first child, many of the females were in tears (including one Felicity Smoak).

Felicity was crying profusely by the time Nick finished his presentation. She felt overwhelmed just thinking about how much this extraordinary man had struggled all through life, rose above the odds, and came out of his despair boldly declaring how to enjoy a genuinely meaningful and purposeful life. Her abandonment issues suddenly seemed too small compared to this man's daily concerns. Particularly, she felt ashamed that she had once again wallowed in self-pity and fear at the prospect of committing to Oliver and then being abandoned when he leaves for Russia. She realized how self-absorbed she'd been.

Felicity was also touched by how Nick held on to the hope of having a solid relationship and commitment with the love of his life, even if no ordinary woman in her right mind would dare look at him twice as a lifetime partner. She admired his strength. She was inspired by the hope he represented. She was challenged to commit to love someone fearlessly and courageously, whatever the future would bring. And that someone was Oliver Queen.

Likewise, Oliver was challenged to keep stepping out in faith. Nick's example reaffirmed that he was on the right track. He thought that he and Nick were very much alike, actually. Nick was flawed on the outside; he had been flawed on the inside. He was a broken man, hurt by the foolish choices of the people he loved and marred by his own foolish choices in the past. Before he met Felicity, he was afraid no one could ever love him for who he truly was, in spite of who he had been. However, like Nick, he realized that he shouldn't be tied down by his past any longer. It became clearer to him that his life was really meant to have meaning and purpose, and a big part of that just had to include Felicity. If Nick Vujicic had the faith to believe that he would eventually meet and marry the woman of his dreams, then Oliver also needed to believe that things would eventually work out between him and her.

* * *

The mess hall had been amazingly and impressively transformed into a modern banquet hall, thanks to the special catering service that Ray Palmer had arranged for the evening. The ceiling lights were slightly dimmed by yards of cascading tulle, complemented by candlelight centerpieces surrounded by floral arrangements of white lilies, baby's breath, and assorted greens atop round tables (each set for eight), which were covered by champagne-colored linens. Two buffet service areas were positioned against the wall on the left side of the hall. The aroma of French onion soup, roast beef and mushroom gravy, Parmesan crusted sole fillet, lemon chicken, and creamy mashed potatoes filled the air. In the background, recorded keyboard and cello music _The Pianoguys_ was playing, setting the mood for the evening's event with relaxing and refreshing covers of well-loved classics, hymns, movie and Broadway themes, love songs, and popular hits.

Oliver and his boys had arrived a bit early because he wanted to teach the boys some table manners and etiquette. Sammy and Timmy caught on fast, learning when and how to use large and small forks and spoons lined up like soldiers on both sides of their shiny white porcelain plates. Johnny hated having to put his napkin on his lap because it kept falling off, so he finally decided to wear it like a bib, not caring what others said. Oliver brought them to the buffet table and taught them how to properly get their food once the host gives everyone the cue that it was time to eat. After tasting the fruit punch in the beverage area, he also warned them not to overindulge themselves with it because it had been very mildly spiked to add a bit of a flavor.

When he finally got the boys settled in their tables, he went to the front desk and asked for his table number, since the chaperons, counselors, and camp staff had been told earlier that they would be seated together in the tables bordering the dance floor, which had been set up at the center of the banquet hall. The camp receptionist at the front desk showed him the list on the laptop screen. He saw his surname "Queen" on Table No. 12, Seat No. 4 and was delighted to see the name "Smoak" on the same table. But his delight was soon curtailed by a frown upon seeing the name of the person who was supposed to be sitting between them – "Rochev" – and the name of the person who was supposed occupy the other seat beside him – "Palmer." He was about to curse whoever was the obsessive-compulsive coordinator, who had meticulously arranged the seats alphabetically, when he looked up…

…and was breathlessly captivated by the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, standing at the entrance of the hall. His breath hitched, and for a while he felt like everything else around him had become a faint blur of pale colors. The cacophony of sounds inside the hall had been drowned out by the intense beating of his heart.

Oliver was enamored by Felicity's presence. She wore a very simple, fitted, sleeveless, red dress that ended just above her knees; it was accented by a gold zipper that ran from her back, around her waist, and ended in a slit that parted midway up her left thigh. Her hair was pinned up in a simple but smart-looking up-do highlighted by golden curls. Her red velvet peep toe heels matched her attire perfectly, just like her scarlet-painted nails and matte crimson lips did. It was like his feet suddenly had a mind of their own, because they carried him towards her just as she turned to notice him approaching.

"Hello," Oliver said after he swallowed the imaginary lump that had lodged in his throat a second ago.

A shy smile formed on Felicity's face.

Before she could greet him back, he said, "You look… incredible."

Her sparkling white teeth began to show as her smile widened. "Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself."

Felicity was just being truthful. Because, oh my… she thought Oliver was drop-dead gorgeous that night. She wondered if that charcoal black coat-and-tie he wore had been designed especially for him because his attire fit his body, matched his skin tone, and complemented his charming sandy blonde hair and his wonderfully chiseled, scruffy jaw line so… perfectly. When Oliver informed her that she belonged to the same table as his, offered to take her there, and guided her with his warm hand on the small of her back, Felicity's heart swelled with mirth. She walked across the dance floor to their empty table with poise and grace, keeping in step with her dashing, debonair escort.

What she didn't know was that he felt equally proud and privileged to have been seen walking with her. When he had helped Felicity to her seat, he excused himself courteously and headed back to the front desk with a plan. He convinced the receptionist to reshuffle the seat assignments on their table in his favor, just before Isabel Rochev arrived to inquire about her table assignment. He smirked as he turned around and hastily walked back to their table to evade the dark-haired menace. It had been quite a long time since he had pulled a mischievous trick like this, and he was more than pleased that his little plan had worked just in time. Oliver sighed and smiled at Felicity as he took his seat beside her. He was so sure he would be enjoying the rest of the evening.

As more and more tweeners and adults arrived, Oliver tried to start a conversation with Felicity. "Where are your girls?" he asked.

"Over there," she motioned to the tables behind him, on the far side of the hall. "I had them ready about an hour ago. Caitlyn and her girls passed by our cabin. When she saw that I hadn't gotten ready yet, she offered to take my girls with them early since some of our girls are sharing a table anyway. Caitlyn's really nice. I'm glad she and Barry are getting along great."

"How are you?" Oliver asked again. "We haven't… talked… in a while."

"Yeah," she replied. "Maybe later?"

Oliver was about to take her up on that offer when Caitlyn Snow approached and took the empty seat beside Felicity. Barry was right behind her, and after planting a light kiss on Felicity's hairline, he sat down beside Caitlyn. Oliver was surprised at himself; a week ago a kiss like that would have bothered him tremendously, but it didn't affect him at all that night. Once more, he was assured that his heart was in the right place. He greeted the newly arrived couple, and the four of them enjoyed a friendly chat until Ray Palmer, the evening's host, stepped up to the podium to speak.

Ray welcomed everyone to the banquet, explaining that this was the first time he was hosting a banquet for Adventure Camp because that day was the birthday of his fiancee Anna, who had passed away three years ago in a vehicular accident. Ray explained further that Anna had gone to Adventure Camp every summer throughout high school, and so he had chosen to honor her memory by setting up a foundation that regularly raised funds for the camp to ensure its continued operations. He concluded his brief speech by thanking Adventure Camp staff and the adult chaperons and counselors for their hard work and sacrifices, emphasizing that these will definitely make a difference in the lives of the youth that get to attend camp each year. When Ray announced that dinner may commence, everyone stood up to fall in line at the buffet tables. Everyone except Oliver and Felicity.

Oliver wrestled with mixed emotions as he sat there in silence. He felt sympathy for his former friend at the untimely demise of his fiancee. He felt admiration, seeing how Ray had moved on from grief and sorrow. For a moment he wondered how he would have felt if he and Anna had ended up together and he was the one who had lost her; he would have been devastated, and he was unsure if he would have had the courage that Ray had had to make something noble and worthwhile out of such a tragic loss. Oliver also felt guilty that he had misjudged his old friend as a show off last week; the man had loved his woman so much and was simply trying to move on with his life. Oliver thought that if he were in Ray's shoes, Felicity would have also been his first choice for a fresh start.

Oliver was so deep in thought that he didn't notice Felicity's hand sliding towards his, the hand with fingers drumming on the dinner table. She placed her hand on his wrist and tapped it once. "You didn't know, did you?"

Oliver shook his head and didn't utter a word. She squeezed his wrist tenderly, and after a minute of silence, they got up and went to the buffet table together.

Dinner was scrumptious, and the conversations at their table were pleasant, including brief dialogues with Isabel, who sat across Felicity (beside her most recent conquest – Bruce Wayne). A couple of song numbers were rendered by a girl from Caitlyn's group and by one of the Adventure Camp counselors, and then some special awards and citations were given out to the Male Camper of the Year, Female Camper of the Year, Athlete of the Year, Artist of the Year, and a few others.

Oliver gave his loudest applause when the camp director announced the recipient of the Chaperon of the Year award. He whistled with pride as a flabbergasted Felicity went up the stage to accept the plaque. When she returned to their table, Barry and Caitlyn congratulated her with warm hugs. Oliver also stood up and moved forward to embrace her. For a split-second she hesitated, but when he looked into her radiant eyes with nothing but a sincere desire to appreciate her, she let herself fall into his outstretched arms. Oliver clung to her as he kissed her blonde hair and savored the moment. She held on to his shoulders and whispered, "Thank you," after he told her how proud he was of her.

At around 9:00, a group of professional musicians went up the stage and set up their instruments. Ray Palmer then announced that the dance floor would be open in a few minutes, and that when the band finishes their first set, there would be a karaoke challenge. Ray clarified that there were only ten slots for this karaoke challenge, so interested persons should sign up at the front desk immediately. Surprisingly, a lot of people liked the idea of a karaoke challenge; the kids and adults thought that it was a perfectly fun way to end their terrific, month-long adventure at camp.

Barry immediately stood up after Caitlyn whispered the title of her favorite song. She had no trouble convincing him to sign up for the challenge. Barry was a seasoned performer, and he really wanted to please his girl. From afar, Oliver saw Sammy making his way briskly to the front desk, signing his name, and then thumbing through the pages of the song list.

"Are you up to the challenge, Oliver?" Isabel teased from across the table. Six pairs of eyes suddenly shifted to him, curious to hear his response.

"Yeah, Captain Von Trapp! This could be your chance to redeem yourself," said Bruce Wayne, almost taunting him.

"Nah… I've had enough excitement in the last four weeks to last me a lifetime," Oliver replied. "And I wouldn't want to send you all home with blasted eardrums." He chortled.

"Hey, your singing is not that bad," Caitlyn joined in. "You just have to put your heart into it, you know? Let your emotions match the words and the music. _Edelweiss_ was supposed to be tender and sweet, but you were all so… so-"

"Broody," Felicity cut in with a chuckle. She bit her lip and then coaxed him, "Come on, Oliver. Give it a try."

He looked at her. "Well if it's you asking… I'd do it," Oliver gave in. The smile on her lovely face was impossible to resist. He stood up and headed for the front desk.

* * *

When Oliver came back, it was his turn to present her a request. The band had begun to play an 80's hit that he recognized as one of his mother's favorite dance selections – _The Time of My Life_ from some old movie he had watched several times over but had forgotten the title of. He got all excited. He placed a hand on the back rest of Felicity's chair, bent over, and asked her politely, "May I have this dance?"

Felicity looked up at him with a smile and replied just as courteously, "Certainly. I would love to dance with you, Oliver."

They joined the other couples, big and small, on the parquet floor at the center of the banquet hall. They danced through the hits of the last three decades and until they were breathless. They had so much fun! They sat down to rest through the last half of the band's first set, chatting hilariously with their friends.

Soon, the band had to step down from the stage and take a break. One of the camp staff members came up to the podium to moderate the karaoke challenge. Oliver began to feel nervous as the first challenger sang his song. Yes, he was sure about the song he had picked; he knew it by heart because it was his parents' song – back when they were still madly in love with each other. (One night when he was about 11 or 12 years old, he had caught his mom and dad one night in each other's arms, swaying slowly and passionately to that Jim Brickman song in their bedroom. He fell in love with the song and promised himself that this was what he would be singing as his future bride walked down the aisle on their wedding day.) Now, he wasn't so sure he could pull it off in front of the woman who had captured his heart in the last few weeks. He wasn't sure if she would understand how much the song expressed exactly what he'd been wanting to tell her for days.

The minutes ticked by. Barry had his turn, and Sammy too, and the crowd loved them. When Oliver's name was called, however, he was reluctant to proceed, seeing that Felicity had not yet returned from the ladies room. He looked at the moderator, at the door that led to the restrooms, and then back at the moderator. The guy waved at him frantically, signaling him to hurry up. So he stood up and made his way to the stage, picked up the microphone, and stalled.

He cleared his throat and spoke into the mic with a slightly trembling voice. "Good evening! Since I was coerced into this challenge by the wonderful people at my table over there, let me just issue a fair warning to you all, that it is with deep regret and anguish of soul that I shall put you through what might be the worst auditory torture you will ever have the displeasure of enduring. So, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please, listen at your own risk." The crowd laughed at his clever, hilarious words.

Oliver tried to compose himself as he let the laughter die down. Then he continued on a more serious note at about the same time that Felicity emerged from the ladies room. "Kidding aside, I picked this special song for a reason. Not only is this my parents' song, it has also become one of my personal favorites. I know, it's a bit _old_ , maybe even forgotten. Still, it's the only song I could think of offering to someone I'd recently met, someone who's come to mean so much to me in just a short time, I still can't believe it's real. I'm just hoping that she'll listen with her heart, and give _us_ a chance."

At that, the audience applauded and the music began. As Oliver began to sing the first line of the first stanza, he spotted Felicity taking her seat at their table. He smiled at her, and when she smiled back, his nervousness melted away.

 _I am amazed_

 _When I look at you_

 _I see you smiling back at me_

 _It's like all my dreams come true_

 _I am afraid_

 _If I lost you, girl_

 _I'd fall through the cracks and lose my track_

 _In this crazy, lonely world_

 _Sometimes it's so hard to believe_

 _When the nights can be so long_

 _And faith gave me the strength_

 _And kept me holding on_

 _ **You are the love of my life**_

 _ **And I'm so glad you found me**_

 _ **You are the love of my life**_

 _ **Baby, put your arms around me**_

 _ **I guess this is how it feels**_

 _ **When you finally found something real**_

 _ **My angel in the night**_

 _ **You are my love**_

 _ **The love of my life**_

He just… sang. Oliver didn't care if he missed a few notes here and there; all he cared about was getting his message across.

Felicity was aware that he was singing _to her_ the moment they held each other's gaze – like their every breath depended on it – as he sang every phrase, every line. She reveled at the thought that he was calling her his angel, and the love of his life. She felt like his voice, his words, his gaze were enveloping him in an earnestly passionate embrace. By the second chorus, tears began to roll down her cheeks.

 _Now here you are_

 _With midnight closing in_

 _You take my hand as our shadows dance_

 _With moonlight on your skin_

 _I look in your eyes_

 _I'm lost inside your kiss_

 _I think if I'd never met you_

 _About all the things I'd missed_

 _Sometimes it's so hard to believe_

 _When a love can be so strong_

 _And faith gave me the strength_

 _And kept me holding on_

 _ **You are the love of my life**_

 _ **And I'm so glad you found me**_

 _ **You are the love of my life**_

 _ **Baby, put your arms around me**_

 _ **I guess this is how it feels**_

 _ **When you finally found something real**_

 _ **My angel in the night**_

 _ **You are my love**_

 _ **The love of my life**_

The music died down and the lights began to brighten once again as Felicity hurriedly wiped the tears on her face with tissue from her purse, embarrassed for the people at her table to notice that she'd been crying. As the crowd clapped and cheered, she picked up her purse and rushed out the banquet hall, too overwhelmed with emotion to stay seated where she was.

Oliver saw her leave, so instead of going back to their table, he went after her. But by the time he made it through the door, she was nowhere in sight. He knew where to look for her though. He took a deep breath, and then sauntered calmly in the direction of the boardwalk. She would be there.

He found her there, sitting on a bench beside a dimly lit lamp post. Her hair had been messed up by the sea breeze; some strands of blonde hair strayed across her face. The mess didn't matter. To him, she was as pretty as always.

When she saw him approaching, she smiled slightly, patting the empty space beside her to tell him to sit down. He did. She looked up at the moon. For a time they just sat there in peaceful stillness, neither of them wanting to be the first one to speak. But she was the one that gave up first.

"I told Ray… I'm not taking the job," she said.

"Oh… When?" he asked.

"When you signed up to sing."

"How did he take it?"

"Better than I thought he would," she replied. "How are _you_ taking it?"

The corners of his lips turned up. "So much better than him, I think." He took a deep breath and prepared for what he was about to say. "Felicity, I… I-"

"Did you mean it? Back there?" she asked, looking at him, attentively waiting for an answer.

He knew she was referring to the song, so he answered, "Yes. Every word."

She nodded, bit her lower lip as she smiled, and blushed. "Angel in the night, huh?"

"Mm-hmm… The love of my life," he responded. He leaned forward and held her hand.

"How do you know?" she asked. "Four weeks. You don't really know me that well."

"Felicity, I know I've only been blessed with four weeks to get to know you, but we've seen each other every single day. And I've seen enough, learned enough about you to choose… choose to love you for you. I've come to care about you… deeply. And if you'll let me, I'd like to get to know you more… not just as a friend… but, as _my girl_."

She was quiet for a few seconds. Then she simply said, "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

He opened his mouth in disbelief, wanting to say something to get her to elaborate, but he didn't know what to say. He was too overwhelmed to speak. She thought it best to rescue him from that sudden spell of speechlessness.

"Oliver, I have given it a lot of thought, and yes… I'm saying _yes_ to being your girl. At first, I was just being cautious because of the person that you were. I guess I was too afraid of being hurt again. But _this version of you_ is different from the person I'd read about and heard about in the past, and it's _this you_ that I've chosen to love, and-"

"You love me?" he cut her off.

"Well, yes! I do care about you, the same way you care about me," she rambled on. "But then you encouraged me to consider Ray's offer, and I thought you were pushing me away, so I got confused. And then there was your father. He said that after you graduate from business school, he'd be shipping you out to Russia permanently. That scared me even more. I couldn't lose you, not so soon after I'd commit to love you with all my heart, so I thought it'd be better if I just-"

Self-control gave way, and instantly his lips were on hers. Gently. Passionately. Sincerely.

She didn't pull away. She kissed him back. Just as gently, passionately, and sincerely.

His free hand cupped her cheek. Her free hand gripped his forearm. When they broke the kiss to take a breath, they giggled and fell into an embrace.

Pulling back, Oliver remarked, "You were right, you know."

"About what?" Felicity asked.

"Dating." Oliver laughed heartily. "It's absolutely unnecessary."

* * *

 **A/N: As you may have noticed, even if our favorite couple ended up together, I did not resolve all the issues between them that brought about conflicts in the plot, and I did it on purpose - to leave room for whether or not this story will have a sequel, something that some of you have asked me. I think it will, but not in the near future. I don't know for sure. Let's see... maybe if this story reaches 150 follows and 50 reviews... I've wondered why it already has 120+ follows but only 25 reviews; I'd really like to know what the rest of you think about the story. And since it's time to say goodbye to this story, and to me (as I will be on a fanfic-writing hiatus after completing this and THE QUEENS), I wish you could drop a line or two.**

 **Once again I thank each of you who's been reading, following, liking, and reviewing this. I appreciate you all, particularly _CataD'Mellark, My Name is Barry Allen,_ and _dreamingofolicitrealized._ I also especially thank _alayneni_ , a talented writer and fellow Olicity shipper, who has inspired great ideas in me. And of course, I thank my husband for his patience and support despite the many late nights; I love you!**

 **Most of all I thank my Lord Jesus, the true Lover of my soul who has taught me how to love and be loved, and dedicate this work for His glory.**

 **P.S. Nick Vujicic is a real person. You may want to Google him or watch him on YouTube.**


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